Knife Thrower
by Soapicus
Summary: A Sword-Dancer and his apprentice come to Corus for work but when an assassination attempt on the King sends the court into turmoil they quickly become embroiled in a tornado of court intrigue and plots.
1. Chapter 1

"Keep hold of my scabbard and walk!" Blanco said sternly. Nerissa hefted the large basket she'd been holding in two hands under one arm so that she could grip the end of Blanco's leather sword scabbard in her other hand. She gripped tightly, scared that she might lose her grip and instantly loose Blanco in the shifting crowds. The crowds pressed in on all sides, making Nerissa feel like she'd been swallowed by a giant monster, like the Manticors that prowled her native land since the Carthakis had opened the gates to the Divine Worlds nearly a generation ago.

Since Blanco had taken Nerissa under his wing they had visited many places, including busy towns or cities. Corus was in many ways like the others: the streets ran with piss, there were thin and dirty children reaching for people's pockets, there were stray animals lying in the sun or else watching food mournfully, there was the smell of fresh bread now and again, the acrid smell of rotting things, and a tumultuous noise of the local people going about their everyday business. Corus however differed in one major respect. It was much much larger than anywhere Blanco had yet taken Nerissa.

The basket, laden with a small amount of food, blankets and many swords and knives (the tools of Blanco's trade), instantly began to make Nerissa's arm ache. Nerissa hoped desperately that the merchant who had agreed to let them stay was not much further. She concentrated on taking her steps. She saw each one as a small victory. She dared not stop or change the position of the basket in case Blanco got ahead of her. Her hand became clammy wrapped around the thin scabbard as it was.

As Nerissa's grip began to wobble on the basket Blanco turned into a side passage and stopped at a door. He gave the door a knock. Nerissa gratefully dropped the basket onto the floor, shaking out both her arms that had gone very stiff and painful.

"What have you done, stupid girl. You better not have got any muck on that basket." Blanco said quickly. Nerissa rushed to pick up the basket again just as the door was pulled open. A flour encrusted stout woman, opened the door.

"Come in. If you get any scummer on my floor I swear by the Goddess I'll feed you to a Spidren. Get in. Get in." The woman didn't smile as she slammed the door behind Blanco and Nerissa. "The Master says he wants you to go straight to his office on arrival. Edward, show the performers up to the Master's study." A boy of about 12, a year older than Nerissa, materialised out from the shadows of the kitchen, he didn't look that much more fed than Nerissa. Nerissa was surprised, life on the road with Blanco didn't present many opportunities for large meals but she'd thought living and working in the Kitchens would have rewards. The boy wasn't as flour dusted as the stout woman though so Nerissa wondered what his job was.

Edward looked inquisitively up at Blanco. Blanco gave him a stern look, the kind that Nerissa thought could peel paint. Edward fixed his stare on Nerissa instead. Nerissa looked at the floor and shifted on her feet uncomfortably. She quickly looked at Blanco and was pleased he hadn't noticed her discomfort. As an apprentice to him she had to prove that she was prepared to be the centre of attention. What use was a sword-dancer apprentice who didn't like to be watched? Nerissa suspected that Blanco had only taken her on because her father offered to give him a year's worth of wages to bind the agreement. Nerissa hadn't wanted to go with the thin, lean, imposing man, leaving the family and friends she had known since birth but she hadn't had any choice. Blanco was the only person the village had seen in years who had any need for an apprentice and her own family was too over burdened to miss the opportunity to relieve them of a mouth to feed, even if it came at such a high price. Nerissa presumed that after four years the cost of apprenticing her had been reimbursed by not having to feed, clothe and house her.

"Follow me." Edward said and led them out of the kitchen into a darkened hallway. The whole town house was dark and foreboding. Every corner was draped in expensive velvet curtains and shadows. Edward led them up a grand staircase, painted to look like pink granite, and across a hallway. Nerissa noticed that the floorboards were stained two different colours as if a rug had recently been removed. She saw no one else.

Edward knocked on the door and a voice from inside made an affirmative noise. Edward swung the large door open and it creaked with complaint. Blanco strode into the room purposefully and Nerissa scurried in after him. The pale boy, Edward, winked at Nerissa as she went passed. Nerissa looked at the floor until she heard the door creak closed behind her. Looking around she was partly comforted to see that Edward had not joined them in the Study. His attention to her had unsettled her.

The room was covered in large faded tapestries in an attempt to keep the room warm. Even though it was only just autumn this wasn't working. The room felt very chilly and Nerissa was unsurprised to see that the man who sat behind a large mahogany desk was bundled up in velvet, which looked suspiciously like the drapes that had been downstairs. The man stayed sat down but he smiled at Blanco in a friendly sort of way. To Nerissa it looked more like the self satisfied smirk worn by a stall holder when he knows he is getting a good deal.

"Excellent, you have arrived, I had started to worry you would be late. On such a day that would be most inopportune!"

"I am sorry Master Brotsmith. We experienced the unwelcome attention of bandits some days ago and have struggled to make up the lost time."

"Bandits? I thought the Kings new Bandit hunter was systematically decapitating every one." The Merchant smile widened as if letting them in on a joke. Nerissa didn't see anything remotely funny about the comment. Blanco plastered a fake smile on his face but his reply held no lightness

"Evidently he missed a pocket of them. They will trouble him no more." Nerissa remembered the Bandits looks of glee as they had surrounded the camp Blanco and her had set up, they no doubt had thought a thin man and a girl would be easy prey. Nerissa involuntarily shivered as she remembered one man licking his lips as he approached her. She tried not to think of what he had looked like after Blanco had finished with him. Blanco had later reprimanded her on not killing any of the Bandits herself. He had begun drilling her even more intensely in her knife throwing and tumbling act, as if that would make her more liking to take a life next time.

"Good. That is good." Although the Merchant's heart clearly wasn't in what he was saying. He was looking distractedly down at his desk "I am extremely pleased that you are now here. I shall be taking you to the Palace within the hour. I hope you are prepared to entertain tonight." Blanco bowed

"Entertaining is our profession. We are now in your service. Send us where you wish. We are as obedient as a pet dog." Nerissa saw Blanco smile while he bowed. This was his little joke. All pet dogs had teeth and none were as sharp as Blanco's when he was crossed.

Nerissa's heart fluttered like a butterfly and her stomach began doing flip flops. This was surely to be the most important performance of either of their lives.


	2. Chapter 2

Master Brotsmith had organised a covered cart for them to arrive in. The cart followed the merchant's carriage up the wide Temple way and through the Palace gates although Nerissa could see none of this in the covered cart.

Blanco and Nerissa sat in silence. They already knew their routines. They would stick to their normal stuff, no point doing anything which risked going wrong when they would be performing for the King of Tortal.

Edward on the other hand wasn't silent. He was dressed in faded red velvet, which looked a little too small for him.

"Old Brottey he's hoping you two are going to win him some favours at court. He's putting on a big show. He's supplied the food and entertainments. Hopes that people will buy from him if they see the quality of his stock, like. He's not been doing too well recently." That explained the cold and dark of his house, thought Nerissa.

Edward stopped talking for a second, the longest respite yet. Blanco had already started his warm up routine and had not been listening to any of what Edward had been talking about.

"Here, I'm dead looking forward to what you're gonna do." Edward told Nerissa. Nerissa mumbled that it was nothing special under her breath. Edward didn't hear her but he was distracted by a change in the noise of the road. It sounded like they were travelling on gravel now.

"Right that's me off." Edward jumped down from the back of the cart and ran ahead. He still managed a quick wink at Nerissa before he was out of sight, heading for Master Brotsmith's carriage. Nerissa strangely missed his stream of chatter. She began to feel the accustomed flutter of worry unsettling her stomach. This time it felt worse though, she had never performed in front of royalty before.

The cart continued on and stopped beside another cart unloading cauliflowers. They had arrived at the servant's door. Nerissa jumped down and held the bundle of knives and swords they would use later in their show as Blanco too jumped down. He landed lightly like a cat. He was always light on his feet though. It was what marked him out as a good Sword Dancer that even when he wasn't performing he still walked like he was. Nerissa had been on the receiving end of his lightning sharp reflexes on many previous occasions too.

They walked into the delivery room. These led into the red bricked kitchens. The heat was overpowering. Nerissa could already feel the three foot high fire at the other end of the room and she could understand why the boy turning the spit on the fire had taken his shirt off. The bustle too made Nerissa's head pound. There were so many people. And the smells! The smells were intoxicating! By the time she'd got half way across the kitchen she was sure she'd already seen 20 whole chickens being prepared. Her mouth watered uncontrollably.

Blanco behind her pushed her on so she couldn't look around long. An imposing man in the red and gold uniform of the Palace approached them.

"You are the second entertainers I presume. I am Master Oakbridge. The Musicians arrived hours ago." The stout man sniffed in reproach at their lateness. When neither Blanco nor Nerissa responded he continued "You will proceed down the corridor and take the third left, then the second right, you will then wait in the adjoining antechamber until a servant sends you through. Understood?" Blanco nodded stiffly and lead the way once they were out of the kitchens.

When they arrived in the antechamber which was lined with expensive green drapes both performers set about their more vigorous warm ups, flexing their stiff limbs from their journey to Corus not so many hours before. They took off their travelling cloaks to reveal their costumes which they'd changed into before they'd arrived. Blanco wore black hose, shirt and silk cloak and Nerissa wore a tight orange leotard which she detested but Blanco insisted she wore.

A youth wearing Gold and Red came through the curtain. As the curtain shifted the noise of chatter and a playing lute were amplified from the banqueting room beyond. The youth grinned at Blanco and Nerissa and said

"They've almost finished their third course now so it'll be time for you guys." The youth ducked around the curtain again and said "Ok all the plates are cleared, you can go up." Blanco said a curt thank you and nodded at Nerissa.

She didn't need the prompt; she'd already backed up against the far wall in preparation for her run up. She took her deep breath and pelted for the curtain and as she reached it she dived onto her hands. She pushed herself up and was flipping over and again and again. Her nerves were jangling as she stood and hands up and back straight turned around neatly. She caught the first knife in her left hand before the audience had even noticed it whizzing through the air. They gasped appreciatively as she caught the second and gasped harder still when he did a handstand and caught the third with her foot. All this really took was practise and dedication. Hours of it. Blanco hadn't been about to let her not be dedicated though.

She threw the knife in her foot into the air, jumped back to standing and begun to juggle the knives. She had to watch them carefully. She knew Blanco could juggle them without looking but she hadn't reached that level of skill. Even so she could see in her peripheral vision that the lords and ladies of the King's Court were wearing the most expensive colours, jewels and clothes she had ever seen. Blanco walked on juggling three knives and he threw one at Nerissa who sent it up as soon as she caught it into her flying sphere of knives.

The audience ah-ed and oh-ed receptively and Nerissa was pleased it was a good audience. Juggling knives was a lot harder when peasants were throwing turnips at you as well.

Eventually Nerissa was juggling all of the six knives and Blanco, hands now free began his shtick. Nerissa knew it word for word, she'd heard it so many times, and she could hear it echoed in her head even whilst she concentrated on not getting lacerated by the knives she was still juggling

"Lords and Ladies. You're Highnesses." Blanco bowed "I am a Sword Dancer and I am here with my apprentice. We have travelled far over this land and it is a pleasure to bring our skills to Corus and to such a prestigious audience." Blanco then threw back his cloak to show he wore six swords in his belt, all of them rapiers "Knives are but a child's plaything tonight, my Lords and Ladies; I shall be dabbling with the fine art of The Sword."

This was Nerissa's queue she threw each knife in turn at a target board at the opposite end of the room so that she had her hands free. They each turned blade over handle as they whistled towards the target. Nerissa smiled at the audience but she smiled through gritted teeth. It wasn't often that she missed the bored entirely but one never knew, this could be the night that she did. Four out of six hit the bull's eye. Nerissa tried not to wince; she would probably pay in the morning for the two that were slightly off.

Blanco threw two of his swords at Nerissa; she held one in each hand. They then began their elaborate routine of choreographed moves, flips and tumbles. The flips in the air were rudimentary. In fact Nerissa was pretty sure that the knife trick at the beginning was the hardest of anything they did because it relied on pinpoint precision, however the acrobatic combined with a small bit of sword throwing was an impressive sight.

When they had finished their routine they bowed to the King and Queen who sat in the centre of the enormous table upon a raised dais. Nerissa looked at them from under her lashes. They were both dazzling. They both wore gold circlets in their coal black hair and they wore matching deep purple clothes, sprinkled with diamonds. They both sat smiling and clapping. Nerissa smiled too, although it was hidden in her bow.

She heard a whirring. The Kind that accompanied one of the knives used in her act. As attuned as she was to the sound of her flying knives she was certain she could hear one. She stood up straight instantly and looked around confused.

Because she was upright and in line with the throne she was caught in the face with a spray of brilliant red blood. In reflex she shut her eyes. When she opened them again she saw the King had toppled backwards out of his seat. A woman with bright orange hair, illuminated by purple light, was knelt over him. The queen was being pulled from the room by a man with equally coal black hair and a foreign looking woman, though the queen was using all her strength to try and reach the fallen King. She was wailing piteously and her creamy white skin had a splattering of blood marring her cheek.

Everybody else was rushing towards Nerissa and Blanco.


	3. Chapter 3

George, Baron of Pirate Swoop, felt irritable and was suffering from a headache. He wondered if it was because he was out of practise. Corus with its constantly shifting press of people, like the unchangeable tide was a lot harder to keep hold of than his fief.

But he was the 'Whisper Man': he had lived almost all his life in Corus, in it's very darkest depths; he'd spent the past couple of decades keeping his hawkish eyes on the whole of Tortal; it was probably because the prospect of finding a replacement for Myles was causing him all sorts of frustration. Myles had been threatening retirement for years, not that George had been prepared to take him too seriously, once you were in the game it was nigh on impossible to leave (unless it was with a knife in your back), but a minor stroke had left Myles indisposed and so drastic action had to be taken.

With a new foreign delegation of both Yamani and Carthaks, an unsettled merchant class and an assassination attempt, right in the bowels of the Palace, upon the King himself, it was very bad timing.

"Bad timing to go soft as well." George thought to himself.

Plus there was the added dimension of the performers with knives.

George had been impressed by their work with the knives, he'd only ever been able to juggle three and that was when he'd been eighteen, that girl had been juggling six and couldn't be more than eleven. The Sword work hadn't been anything spectacular though.

The girl at least didn't seem to be hiding anything.

George put his eye to the spy hole once more. With the restricted vision it afforded he could make out the girl - small, dark hair, braided to hide the dirt that George was still able to see – she sat whimpering in a chair across a desk from a thin clammy skinned man who was grilling her.

George had decided almost as soon as the interview had started that Claude, the clammy man, was not right for Myles's replacement no matter that he was an adept spy. Probably the moment when Claude had layed Terror spells on the desk, George had known. It had been too late by then to put a stop to him.

"Tell me what you know!" Claude demanded, banging his fist on the table. The girl whimpered worse than ever. "Who sent you?"

"A merchant...a Master Brotsmith." The girl panted as if she'd run a mile, trying to fight the terror spells.

George already knew this. Master Brotsmith, like the two performers, had been placed into a cell beneath the palace within moments of the attack on the King. The merchant had been losing trade for at least a year, out competed by the new Kulah sellers who had begun to fill the streets of Corus with their pop-up stalls of cheaper produce. Some delinquents in the streets had begun to criticise the King for not putting a stop to the Kulah sellers although George knew that none of the new sellers had intended on harming the merchants. Still this could be an attack borne from anger. But that didn't make sense either, his people in the merchants houses had told him the merchants knew that, no matter how bad things got, killing the King could only lead to more problems.

This was all ignoring the fact that George knew the knife that had hit the King had come a completely different direction to the performers _and _Master Brotsmith.

The attacker had used one of the performer's knives, though. George's brow furrowed as he tried to piece the puzzle back together.

Could Master Brotsmith have got the performers in purely to supply the weapons? What was the point when almost all the guests already had their own weapons? George himself had been carrying five knives about his person that night.

George returned to watching the interrogation. It was like having teeth removed slowly without the aid of a healer. Claude was bungling the whole thing. George would have to step in before he ruined the interrogation with the other performer.

"I heard the...heard...heard the knife." The girl stuttered.

George pricked up his ears. It wasn't much but it was something. This girl had some skill if she could hear a knife fly through the air.

George lent back from the spy hole thinking furiously feeling more puzzles fit together. He hypothesised people's actions and responses in his head, projecting for the next few moves like a grand chess master. That was the way the game was played after all.

George smiled. A new pawn had entered the board. He loved it when that happened.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hello, Nerissa isn't it?" a man with a large nose and dancing hazel eyes stood bending over Nerissa. Nerissa still felt the sweat on her from her interrogation. She smiled at the man faintly. He sounded friendly. "My name is George." The man said. He didn't wait for her to respond. "You've been in deep trouble. But don't worry I've got you out of it."

Nerissa looked up startled. George was smiling at her placidly.

"Thank you." Nerissa said quickly. She never wanted to be interrogated ever again, it was the worse thing that had ever happened to her. It was worse than saying good bye to her family, worse than bandit attacks, worse than Blanco beating her when she missed one of her tricks.

"Now, you know the world, I didn't do it for nothing." Nerissa looked at the floor again, ashamed that she'd thought he had done it with no return. She knew that wasn't how the world worked but the last person she'd seen smile like that at her had been her granddad and she'd hoped that maybe this man was different. She blamed the interrogation for making her disorientated enough to hope.

"But" George was continuing, smiling "what I need you to do in return really isn't too bad at all, and I'll make sure you've got food and clothes and shelter until the whole situation gets sorted, alright?"Nerissa didn't move. George still hadn't told her what it was she had to do, she no longer believed that it wouldn't be bad. "I just need you to tell me what another person is up to. Just come to me at the end of everyday when the last bell of the day rings and tell me. I'll be in this room. Ok?"

Nerissa knew that there was nothing she could do but nod. This had to be harder than George was making out.

"Would you like to meet the man I want you to tell me about?" Nerissa didn't move, she stared at the expensive floorboards beneath her dangling feet (her wooden chair was too tall for her) but George took her silence for accent.

"Come in Owen." George called and the door opened.

A short man walked in. He had a round face, as if he had once been fat but he wasn't any more. From the definition of his hose and shirt he was extremely muscular. He smiled, a little lopsidedly at Nerissa. He looked uncomfortable.

"George, I'm not sure – "

"Nonsense! You've been complaining you wanted something to do since the King ordered you back to the Palace. Well, take this as a distraction. Keeping an eye on the prisoner is just as worthwhile as your bandit hunting." The new man, Owen, looked sidelong at George. George beamed at him, without a shadow on his face, as if he were as innocent as the day he was born. When Owen had turned away George winked at Nerissa. It made her think of Edward. She wondered what Edward was doing at that moment.

"Erm, hello." Owen said to Nerissa and he smiled at her. It was another lopsided smile and she noticed that his smile was being pulled out of shape by a scar on the side of his chin.

"Hello, sir." Nerissa replied, politeness had been drilled into her long ago.

"Would you like to follow me?" Nerissa knew this was not a pleasant inquiry but a polite order so she slipped off of her wooden chair and followed Owen as he waddled out the room. Owen led the way, Nerissa trailing in his wake, along many corridors of the palace. They were all floored in wood and panelled in equal splendour with mahogany, this was then draped with splendid wall hangings and large paintings which seemed to be framed in gold.

Owen began to whistle genially. He was walking much faster than Nerissa and she had to jog now and again to keep up with his massive strides. When they reached a patch of flagstone floor, Owen obviously heard Nerissa's hurried footsteps because he turned around and said

"Terribly sorry, not used to having somebody follow me around. I'll try and slow down." He did and then stopped again. "look you can walk next to me if you like." Nerissa looked up at him and saw that he was smiling down at her, his eyes crinkled. Despite herself Nerissa smiled back and Owen set off again. "Terribly strange this, walking slowly, I'm not used to it at all."

Owen mumbled all the rest of the way about how funny it was walking slowly. Nerissa had never heard anyone talk as much. Well perhaps Edward had, but he was a boy, this was a full grown man, a very full grown man if she was anybody to judge, and he was discussing walking slowly, with her. It seemed absurd.

"Right." Owen said abruptly as they reached a wooden door. Owen inserted a key and walked in. It was a cosy sort of room, there was a fire place with an already lit fire, an armchair and a large shelf of books.

"These are my rooms. Through the door at the other end is my bedroom and a washroom. We'll have to set up a palette for you in here. I only have one rule, ok two rules I guess because I am supposed to be guarding you after all, so naturally you can't run off, that's rule number one, but rule number two is this:" Owen at this point, who had before been talking very fast and without breath, paused and then said slowly "Do not mess with my books!"

Nerissa was taken aback. She'd expected something much more serious.

"What would I want with your books? I can't read." Nerissa said shocked

"You can't, you mean, you can't, can't, read?" Owen stammered astounded. He strode over to the groaning book shelf and pulled down a battered green book, faded and threadbare. Ignoring his previous ultimatum he thrust the book into Nerissa's hands and said "Open it!" his eyes gleamed like he was overcome with madness.

Nerissa opened the book, her hands trembled slightly under the glare of Owen's eyes.

Nerissa wasn't sure what Owen had expected. She looked up at him quizzically. It was true she had never held a book before, books were highly expensive even with the newly invented printing press. However this book did nothing spectacular, the usual squiggly lines patterned the pages of the careworn book.

Owen sighed happily as she gave him back the book. "Magical aren't they." He crooned. Before Nerissa could even think of a reply a resounding bell sounded, much louder than she had become accustomed locked in the cells beneath the palace.

"Are you hungry?" Owen asked suddenly. Nerissa almost jumped at the sudden change in conversation.

"Yes, sir." Nerissa always felt hungry, even while travelling with Blanco, let alone after being locked in a cell for two days.

"Come on then. To the Mess!" Owen called jovially, much louder than was necessary in his small living room. With that Owen replaced his book, almost stroking it back onto the bookshelf, and almost pushed Nerissa out the room in front of him. He locked the door and strode off down the corridor.

Owen had to stop multiple times on their way to the Mess to allow Nerissa to catch up. Each time he apologised "Normally doing things. Bandits wait for no man and all that."

"What do Bandits matter to you?" Nerissa asked, wondering if she'd be smacked for her impertinence, but unable to contain her curiosity as Owen mentioned them for the fourth time.

"Oh I catch them. That's my job. It's really rather jolly you know." But Nerissa had never heard anyone say jolly with as much menace before.

As Owen and Nerissa turned yet another corner they began to hear a cacophony of voices. The noise ebbed and flowed like violent waves hitting a cliff face but it was clear to Nerissa that it was rising in volume as they approached a set of double doors.

Owen pushed the doors open checking that Nerissa was still with him. The amount of noise seemed to double as the doors opened. Beyond the doors was a vast hall full with people weaving in between huge wooden tables. Owen edged past the tables, Nerissa tried to keep as close to him as possible, the room was full of people and they seemed very rowdy.

Owen grabbed a wooden tray, thrusting another at Nerissa, and began accepting plates of food from men and women in the black and white uniform of the Palace servants. Owen then began loading the tray in Nerissa's hands with steaming plates of broth as well. When he'd finished piling rolls on both their trays he beckoned Nerissa to follow him, but as they approached the nearest table a cry when out.

"Owen!"

Owen looked up and beamed lopsidedly at a group of men waving at him. Owen jerked his head indicating for Nerissa to follow him and walked over to the other men. Nerissa followed him with trepidation.

"When did you arrive?" Owen asked beaming at the men, he sat down in the middle of them opposite a dark haired man who had the brightest blue eyes Nerissa had ever seen. He replied to Owen's question as Nerissa set her tray down on the edge of the group.

"Last afternoon. How you been Owen? It's been ages, last I saw you properly was before your Ordeal. Congratulations on getting the Bandit job."

"I thought you were going to say congratulations on surviving Wyldon." Owen said smiling

"Well that to." Said another man to the right of Owen

"Who else is back?" Owen asked before the rest of the men had stopped laughing

"Well Roaul is back with us. Second Company should arrive in the next few days. Wyldon's still up on the border. Oh and Kel's back too." The first man said

Owen started to cough on the roll he'd just taken a bite of.

"She's back?" he spluttered "Where is she?"

"I hope the Bandits reward that roll well when you choke to death on it." The blue eyes man said sardonically "She got whisked away to meet the Yamani delegation but I'm sure you'll see her soon."

Nerissa had been quietly but quickly scooping broth into her mouth whilst the men had been talking but the man who was sat next to had noticed her and said friendlily

"Careful Kid, you want to breath whilst you eat."

"Here, who's this?" the blue eyed man asked

"Bit young for you, Jesslaw." Another man called and a few people guffawed

"I'm supposed to be watching her. She put on a jolly old display couple of nights ago, she's some sort of knife thrower or something – "

"She was there when the King got attacked?"

"You know about that?" Owen asked stunned

"Honestly Owen, most of the Kingdom knows by now. And that's not a good thing I can tell you. I'm surprised Roaul didn't send us straight back to the border when he heard. Everyone's going to be trying for a bit of Tortal now. Well we should be safe from the Yamani's at least." Dom said

"I'm an apprentice Sword Dancer." Nerissa said cutting into the men's discussion.

"What?" Owen asked

"You said I was a knife thrower. I'm not. I'm an apprentice Sword Dancer." Nerissa's voice trailed away as all the men on the table turned their attention to her.

"You know what, we missed your first performance." The blue eyes man said, eyes alight with mischief. "I don't think that's fair. I think you should show us what you can do." He swept the other men with a smile "Anyone fancy a trip to the training grounds."

"This should be jolly!" Owen said, a hungry smile alighting his round face.

Nerissa wished she'd kept her mouth shut.


	5. Chapter 5

Nerissa kicked savagely at a fallen leaf as the loud group descended on the almost empty training ground. They made for a patch of grass halfway between the tilting and archery ranges. Nerissa's mouth formed a thin line as she felt a gnawing ache of panic in her gut.

Owen looked down at her concerned

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to you know." Nerissa looked up at him startled.

"Really?"

"You don't look too happy." he turned to the blue eyed man "Dom, I'm not sure Nerissa here wants to do it." Owen had used Nerissa's name. It had been so long since she'd heard to used it jolted her with shock. She'd gotten so used to Blanco just calling her girl.

Now the blue eyed man, Dom, looked down at her with concern too

"Are you ok?"

Nerissa gave a small smile, looking up at the two men

"Yes, I'm fine." She said. She already felt better. These men weren't there to scold, taunt or exploit her. They were just interested. "Have you got any knives?" the men backed up uncertainly and fingered their belt knives, none of them truly prepared to give them up.

Owen beamed at Nerissa

"There's a crate of daggers over by the training hall I'll go get them." And he dashed off.

"Look it's the Queen." One of the men, who wore a burnoose said. Sure enough the woman who had been dressed so elegantly in purple on the first night Nerissa had come to the palace was stood in the Archery range with a giant bow. She wore normal work clothes which surprised Nerissa. She looked murderous. She sent bolt after bolt at the nearest target, grunting with the strain each time she released a fresh arrow.

"Working off some steam by the sound of it." Dom commented

"Have you heard how the King is?" the burnoosed man asked as the woman with almond shaped eyes, who Nerissa had previously seen dragging the Queen from the banquet, put her hand on the Queen's arm and began to lead her away from the archery range.

At that moment Owen returned with a large crate which he put down effortlessly at Nerissa's feet despite its large size.

Nerissa looked inside and found it full of small daggers, still slightly larger than the knives she usually worked with, but even so, more than suitable. She picked one up and tested its weight. She did this a couple of times until she had nine daggers spread around her of just about equal weight and balance. She held five of them in her two hands, clasped between fingers and threw them into the air, one by one, so they flashed end over handle. She juggled them easily

"You can throw another one in if you like." She said to the burnoosed man who was stood nearest one of the other daggers. He lent down, picked the dagger up and threw it gingerly at Nerissa, as if uncertain how was best to throw it. He had thrown it so nervously Nerissa had to step forward to catch it as it fell so short.

"What shall I do now?" Nerissa asked the men. She glanced at them between keeping an eye on her flying knives. They all looked hypnotised as the daggers danced in the air. "I could show you some of my tumbles and my sword work if you like."

Owen smiled at her encouragingly but he too was busy watching the daggers.

"Well I'll need to get rid of these daggers first. Could you grab that target and pull it a bit closer." Nerissa nodded at one of the men on the outskirts of the ring of watchers. He jumped to do her bidding.

"Bossy little thing isn't she." Dom said, although when Nerissa looked at him sharply she could see he too was entranced by the daggers and hadn't meant it maliciously.

When the target had been pulled in range, Nerissa threw the knives at the target one by one, much like during her performance a couple of nights previously. This time with less of the pressure she hit within the central circle every time.

She heard clapping and she and the rest of her watchers turned round to find the source of the noise.

"Kel!" Owen cried delighted and he ran up the small hill to the path that ran along by the palace. Nerissa shaded her eyes and saw five people looking down at them. They began to make their way down to Nerissa and the men almost as soon as Owen had collided with a tall person who was obviously Kel. Owen pulled Kel into a bear hug, trapping Kel's arms. Kel looked over at her companions a look of embarrassment crossing her face before it was schooled into a blank look. The other people watched Kel and Owen equally blankly. Nerissa could see that apart from Kel all of the other people had almond shaped eyes like the Queen's companion.

Owen let go of Kel and clutching at her hand pulled her down to where Nerissa stood. The other people followed in their wake.

"Nerissa, meet Kel, I mean Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan." Owen said happily, a huge lopsided beam plastered across his face. Nerissa did a double take. This very tall, very muscular person in front of her was a woman. Kel gave her a small smile before once again schooling her expression blank.

"So this is the Yamani delegation." Dom said thoughtfully "Lo, Kel!"

"Hello Dom." Kel said smiling quickly again

"You've got to be careful, Kel." Dom said quietly "You've hardly spent an hour with those Yamanis and you've already lost the ability to smile like a normal person."

Kel smiled ruefully, and this time the smile stayed on her face. Nerissa felt herself relax almost instantly.

The Yamanis, all of them men, approached closer to Nerissa's group. One lean man looked searchingly into Nerissa's eyes

"I was reasonably impressed." He said his face so clear of emotion that Nerissa did not know if this was a compliment or an insult.

"Well, I was very impressed. That was really amazing Nerissa." Owen cried beaming at her. Nerissa smiled back.

"It was trivial, I have seen better." The Yamani man who had spoken said again "I have some skill in this and I could match her for knife throwing, I am sure even the Lady Kel could do so too." Dom and the man wearing the burnoose, who both stood behind Nerissa, shifted uncomfortably, almost in perceptively. They had noticed the possessive glance the Yamani man had swept Kel with. Kel's eyes crinkled as if containing a smile, as if she had received a compliment.

Owen looked disapprovingly at the man. He snorted

"Talk! I don't believe it. I bet Nerissa could out do you anyday."

Kel looked as if she was shifting her weight but since Nerissa was shorter than anyone else she could see that she had actually positioned her foot on top of Owen's. From the raising of her eyebrow at him this was a barely veiled threat. However it appeared only Nerissa had noticed. Owen in his hobnailed boots couldn't feel anything. His eyes threw daggers (as many as Nerissa had actually thrown) at the Yamani man.

"Care to wager more than pride on this matter." The man said cooly.

"Ten gold pieces." Owen replied quickly

"Done" the Yamani replied.

Nerissa had trouble swallowing as her throat turned to sandpaper. Not only had she never imagined so much money all at once, it was up to her to make sure it still belonged to Owen by the end of the day.


	6. Chapter 6

Nerissa looked down at the target. Her stomach swooped with unease, it hurt as if she had a Stormwing trapped inside it, fluttering about. The target looked so much further away than when she'd sent the knives towards it not so long ago.

She looked towards the two groups surrounding her. Owen, Dom and the rest of the men from the mess were smiling at her, as if they already expected her to win. Kel and the Yamani men were stood surveying Nerissa without emotion, except for her opponent who stared at her with cold eyes, trapping her like a hawk finding prey. Nerissa repressed a shiver.

She picked up the first dagger.

* * *

><p>George was sat at Myles' desk. Myles had stuttered the way to open the secret draws a week ago (the healers were still struggling to return him to the same level of health he had enjoyed before the stroke) and George still had pages and pages of old reports to look over.<p>

He frowned over a background check on the members of the Yamani delegation. He had a headache and from experience he knew he wasn't as quick making connections as usual. Still somewhere his brain was still ticking and it had stopped him on this report of Meenu Natageera. What was it that was bothering him? George kneaded his forehead with his fingertips trying to think. He came from a highly influential and wealthy family, with strong ties to the Emperor himself. Meenu trained with Shang for a few years before leaving the islands for the Eastern Lands. There he stayed for a few years on the Tortal-Galla border where he further perfected his Common. On his return to the Yamani islands he spent most of his time caring for his family's lands and people, visiting the Emperor infrequently. When he was forced to attend to the Emperor he preferred to stay in the surrounding town, frequenting many of the brothels and taverns.

Something was missing from this report, but George couldn't get his brain to work out what it was.

"Sire." George looked up quickly at the voice. A boy of about twelve was stood before Myles' desk. He was smiling at him, full of mirth.

"What is it Edward?" George asked the boy, rolling his eyes at him. George knew why Edward looked so happy. It was because he thought he had caught George unawares. It was true, although George was not about to admit it.

"I was coming straight to you, I promise, but I just got distracted, like, on the way. See that girl with the knives, she was putting on a show and then the Yamanis came along and now they're having a bit of a competition. But I'm here now. I can give you my report on how things are with the merchants." Edward took breath, "So Master Brotsmith has paid off all his debts, which means that Master Cullard is able to buy ink enough for –"

"Edward, what did you say about the Yamanis?" George interrupted. Edward smile widened

"One of them got challenged. They're having a knife throwing competition."

George jumped up

"Where? Tell me where! Quick!"

"Out on the practise grounds. Don't you want to hear my report?"

"Stay here, I'll be back!" George called over his shoulder as he dashed out the room.

He was already half way to the practise courts so he didn't see Edward slip out after him.

* * *

><p>A groan went through the group of men from the Mess as the Yamani opponent hit the bull's-eye centrally. The other Yamani men just blinked.<p>

So far the Yamani had bettered Nerissa on both throws. Nerissa's hands started to get clammy. She was finding it difficult to get the right grip upon the daggers. The Stormwing tapped within her was pulling her insides to bits.

She glanced over to where Owen stood. He still stood smiling at her. Their eyes met and he nodded at her encouragingly.

She took a deep breath, sighted the target, raised her arm and shot the dagger out of her hand. It hit the bullseye dead on too. There was a small smattering of applause.

Her opponent picked up another dagger, spinning it about his hand lazily, then he threw his too. Nerissa could hear it whistling through the air, just from this she knew it flew perfectly. She closed her eyes for she knew what it would be, another central hit.

That left only four more throws for her to beat him. She would have to better him on each throw to win.

* * *

><p>George was puffing slightly when he reached the path along the Palace. He could see the figures below clearly. He could pick out Nerissa as she was easily the smallest. Although his daughter Aly had a more useful Sight than he, he could still see things further away than most people. He could see that she looked grim.<p>

His attention turned to her opponent. His face portrayed the usual frozen half smile of the Yamanis which made all of them harder to read. George could still see that this was Meenu Natageera. His body language wasn't as disguised as his expression. He stood languid and relaxed. He clearly thought this was easy.

Nerissa seemed to hesitate as she began to sight the target. She wiped her forehead of sweat and began to sight again. Her body language was also clear. Her muscles were tight in agitation and there was a slight tremor to her hands. She at least was feeling the pressure. George thought back to her performance on her arrival to the palace. George became surer than ever that she had played no part in the assassination attempt. She would have been unable to hide her nerves, just as she was unable to hide them now. Plus, there would have been, no doubt, a great deal more pressure on her if she had had any part in an attempt on the King, even if she only knew about it. Perhaps his plan of using her as a spy might not work. She'd give the game away instantly. He'd see what she had to say about Owen first. Owen would then be able to tell him how accurate she was.

George winced as Nerissa missed the central yellow circle entirely, hitting within the circle third from the centre.

Meenu picked up the dagger with ease and threw it lazily towards the target, not even waiting to remove Nerissa's dagger. It hit the centre directly. George considered this thoughtfully. This displayed some level of skill with throwing daggers. George thought back to where Meenu had been sitting at the Feast two nights previously. He had been sat on the opposite side from where the knife had been thrown from. Yet had he been sat there all night? George felt his suspicions mount. He would have to undergo further investigations of Meenu.

Meenu walked back to his group of fellow countrymen and they applauded politely. George noticed Keladry of Mindelan was with them. She smiled as Meenu returned to stand before her and said something to him out of George's earshot. Meenu bowed to her.

Third Company of the King's Own were looking disappointed but Owen amongst them was looking murderously at Meenu. But then Owen noticed that Nerissa left, sprinting towards the Palace stables. Owen began to jog after her.

George turned to find Edward stood behind him. Edward looked concernedly in the direction Nerissa had run in.

"What happened to staying put?" George asked amused.


	7. Chapter 7

Nerissa tried to gulp in deep breaths of the hay laden air, but each time she broke down into great raking sobs. She already could feel droplets of her salty tears streaming down her face and dropping onto her bare arms.

"Nerissa?" It was Owen come to find her, to send her back to her cell beneath the Palace. She'd just lost him 10 gold coins. He was bound to be furious. He'd beat her, she knew he would. She tried to curl herself into an even smaller ball, sobs racking her body, making her shoulders heave. She turned away from Owen.

"Nerissa? What's wrong?" and there was such concern in his voice Nerissa felt compelled to answer.

"Why do you think?" she whispered "B-b-because I just lost you all that m-m-money, because I'm all alone in this foreign land with no one I kn-kn-know. Because I don't know what's going to happen to me. B-b-because –" she stopped abruptly as she felt Owen's touch on her back. She cowered away, she'd said too much, he was a member of the nobility and she shouldn't have said any of that to him. But Owen's arms surrounded her and she realised that he was hugging her. Nobody had hugged her since she had left home. Her sobbing subsided, growing quieter, as she felt the comfort Owen was offering her. It was very comfortable.

"aren't you angry with me? I lost you all that money!" Nerissa asked

"No, of course not. Slightly disappointed maybe, but it wasn't your fault, I got you into this. I've received enough purses from the King to pay the 10 gold coins easily, don't worry. And look, you didn't think that I'd just let you starve or become homeless or whatever it is you're so cut up about. So cheer up." Owen released his arms and watched as Nerissa rubbed the unfallen tears from her eyes. She rubbed her nose on a corner of her shirt before Owen offered her a hankercheif. He was smiling at her so fondly that she felt intensely guilty that she had promised the George-man that she would tell him what Owen was up to.

"Owen –" she began, but what could she do? If she told Owen, George might be so angry he would give her to the interrogator again

"Yes Nerissa?"

"Did you really mean what you said?" she said instead

"Of course." Owen looked distractedly at her soiled shirt "Speaking of which I think I should take you to the Palace tailors. How long have you been wearing those clothes?"

She looked down at the shirt and breeches she was wearing, Edward had brought them down to her cell so that she didn't have to wear the horrible leotard. She realised she hadn't thanked him properly. That was still almost two days ago

"Only two days." She said smiling at him

"Hey what's this? A smile?" Nerissa looked down embarrassed and saw that Owen was knelt in the mud beside the stable walls same as her

"Owen! You're ruining your Breeches!" she cried shocked and tried to pull his great bulk out of the mud

"Not another clean fiend! Kel's always going on about –" but his voice trailed away, so Nerissa never found out what Kel was always going on about. Owen continued on, getting up out the mud as he talked, as if he had finished his sentence "I didn't like that Meenu. Not at all. The way he was treating Kel as if she belonged to him." Nerissa hadn't been paying that much attention, and Kel had been alittle imposing with her lack of emotion, but all the same, Nerissa hadn't thought she had been upset about the way Meenu was treating her. She had thought Kel had liked Meenu. But she didn't tell Owen. The distant look in his eyes suggested he wouldn't have heard her anyway. He was clearly thinking about Kel and Meenu.

Though Nerissa tried to protest Owen insisted she accept three shirts, two sets of breeches and one hose, three tunics and a dress.

"But this is too much for me!" She cried

"It really isn't as much as you think. That's a pitiful amount of clothes."

"It's more than I've ever owned." Nerissa said quietly. Owen gave alittle smile, and looked like he was going to envelope her in another hug

"Plus, if you decide that you want to move on when it's been decided you're not in some sort of plot, well, then I can give them back to the tailors and I'll get my money back."

"I don't think I'll want to leave." Nerissa said quieter still. Owen didn't indicate that he had heard her but his lopsided beam seemed to grow larger as they finished their business at the Tailors.

When they arrived back to Owen's rooms they found a palette bed had already been placed in Owen's living room

"Right I'm going to teach you how to read! No, no objections –

"But I'll never have anything _to_ read. I could never afford a book!"

"It doesn't matter." Owen said with some finality "you won't believe how useful reading is until you can do it. Gods, I couldn't imagine life without being able to read. Plus it'll mean should you leave, you could earn yourself more money, get a well paid job."

There it was again, Owen's talk about when she would leave. She felt a hollowing in her chest

"I understand." She intoned quietly "You don't really want me here."

"Don't say that Nerissa, you are welcome to stay here. Though you are not a servant of mine, I feel like I have a duty to you, and I am glad of that. I haven't known you long but you seem a sensitive, talented girl who has known a great deal of hardship. Now," Owen said briskly, drawing something on a piece of parchment. "this is the letter A."

Nerissa tried to apply herself to what Owen was trying to teach her but as the Palace bells began to resound through the little living room, Nerissa's thoughts turned to the job she was meant to be doing for George. It wouldn't be long until the last bell of the day rang out.

Almost as soon as she thought it, it crept up upon her. It sounded to her like a death knell.

"That's the last bell of the day." Owen said brightly "Well I, er, better be getting to bed, you know, lots of jolly things in the morning. If you, er, can't sleep, well I always find a nice walk helps. Make sure you take that jerkin on the side with you, the one with my crest on, that's if you do go, you're probably not really supposed to leave my sight, or wander the Palace after dark but if you have that anyone who sees you will probably be alright. Ok then, good night Nerissa." And he almost ran for his wash room.

Nerissa took the Jerkin and wandered for the door, she thought maybe she should wait for Owen to go to sleep, so he wouldn't know she had gone. He'd know as soon as he noticed the Jerkin was gone that she had left. But Nerissa didn't think that she would have the courage to go if she waited much longer. She wanted to get it over with.

She turned the doorknob and slid through the partially open door on her lightest Sword-Dancer feet. She flitted down the corridor. Her senses alive to the smallest sound. She could hear her own blood thrumming through her veins.

But she soon stumbled onto a corridor she didn't recognise. She frowned. The Palace was very confusing and she was getting the walk with Owen from George's room confused with all her walks with Owen over the past day. She tugged at the sleeve of her new shirt worriedly.

"Nerissa." She heard a hiss. She jumped about a foot, spinning round madly for who had called her name. Hidden behind some red drapes beside a window was the stooped thin figure of Edward.

"Edward! Please help! I'm desperately lost!"

"No 'hello Edward' then, that's the civil way to greet a person." Edward said smiling at her, but he obviously caught the panic in Nerissa's eyes because he stopped teasing her "But you only just left Master Owen's room." He said despairingly

"Yeah but – hey how do you know that?"

Edward scuffed his shoes on the wooden floor but when he looked up at her from under his eyelashes there he was grinning evilly at her.

"Been following you haven't I."

"What? Why?" Nerissa cried alarmed. Edward tapped his nose maddeningly and simply said

"Now wouldn't that be telling." He smirked at her

"Are you going to help me or not?" Nerissa said angrily, forgetting that she had meant to thank Edward for getting her clothes.

"Fine, follow me." Edward huffed before trotting out of the corridor in the direction Nerissa had just come from.

They had barely gone any distance when Edward hissed

"Quick, behind the Tapestries." And gave Nerissa a hard shove towards them to give her the message. He followed her and they both flattened themselves against the panelled walls.

Nerissa began to hear footsteps. She looked across at Edward but he was peeping from behind the tapestry. He suddenly ducked back within its shadows as the footsteps grew louder still. In the silent corridor the footsteps sounded like a drums and Nerissa's heartbeat like thunder.

Edward made eye contact with her. He smiled and gave another of his maddening winks. But as she opened her mouth to wipe the smile from his face he raised a finger to his lips to silence her. She frowned angrily at him but the footsteps now sounded like they were directly in front of them and any talking would reveal where they were. Nerissa decided she might as well stay quiet.

Then, suddenly the footsteps paused. Whoever they belonged to must be directly in front of them. Nerissa felt her heart leap into her mouth. What would happen if this person, whoever they were, found them hidden behind the tapestry?

Whoever they were, Edward was looking like he'd just eaten a lemon as he too contemplated their exposure.


	8. Chapter 8

Nerissa and Edward stood petrified behind the curtain, barely breathing. Nerissa felt for Edward's hand, feeling terror welling up inside her. He clasped his hand round hers.

But then the footsteps moved away from them. They heard a rapping on a door directly infront of them, on the opposite side of the corridor. Nerissa hadn't even noticed that there had been a door, but that wasn't that extra-ordinary, she was constantly being in trouble with Blanco for being unobservant.

Nerissa realised she'd barely thought of Blanco all day. She'd been having a terrible time in the interrogation and then she'd been having a wonderful time with Owen, between the two there hadn't been much space for thoughts of Blanco. 'He must still be in the cells' Nerissa thought with a guilty swoop of her stomach.

Nerissa and Edward heard a doorknob turn and a door swing open. A female voice could be heard

"Meenu?" and then as an afterthought "Natageera, what a pleasant surprise." As if she hadn't addressed him by his first name at all.

"Please, Lady Keladry. I must speak to you in private, it is a most urgent matter." Meenu's voice was silky, holding none of the urgency that his words would suggest.

"It is very late." Kel hesitated

"My business should not take long." Meenu assured her; he said it in a low purr.

There was a rustle of footsteps and the click of the closing door.

"I wonder what that was about." Edward said

"I don't care. I have to go see George." Nerissa moodily replied

"But it's fun!" Edward cried surprised

"No it's not. We might have been discovered and –"

"Oh it wouldn't have mattered. We could have just kept walking really, could have pretended we were on Official Jesslaw business, with that Jerkin you have there.-

"And what if we were discovered behind the Tapestry?" Nerissa interjected angrily

"Oh that's easy." Edward said smiling "We're sweethearts, hidden ourselves away from romance." Nerissa's stomach did flips. She was very aware that she still held Edward's hand. She dropped it quickly.

"Oh, I see." She said quietly, watching the floor, utterly cowed. She didn't know if she wanted Edward as a sweetheart. She didn't even know if Edward was asking her to be his sweetheart. It was too confusing.

"Are you going to take me to see George?" she said instead, unable to make eye contact with Edward. Her cheeks felt very warm, and she knew she was blushing.

"Yeah, sure, come on then." He pulled back the heavy tapestry and they began to make their way down the corridor again. Edward threw a longing look at the closed door that Meenu had obviously gone through.

"So many secrets." He muttered to himself happily, smiling away. Too many secrets Nerissa thought moodily.

Her thoughts turned once more to her impending interview with George. Her insides felt very light as they trotted down the empty corridors.

It wasn't long before they reached a corridor that Nerissa recognised and then Edward was tapping on a door and then they were entering a room and then Nerissa was face to face with George himself.

He smiled at Nerissa.

"Ah, Hello Nerissa, thank you for joining me." Nerissa didn't feel like she was required to speak, so she didn't. George went on. He didn't look at Edward who had walked round to stand to the side of George's desk but Nerissa got the impression that George was still completely aware of where Edward was. George seemed intently focused on Nerissa and she felt unable to look away, the break eye contact with George.

"How has your day been?" George asked pleasantly.

"Good thank you, sir."

"Have you settled in alright?" George asked. Nerissa felt perplexed, these were far more trivial than the questions that she was expecting

"Yes sir."

"Owen's quarter's satisfactory are they?"

"Yes sir, they're more than I could have hoped for."

"Surely you're use to more opulence than that on your travels. Sword dancing is a rare skill, I would have expected great rewards for the entertainment you provide."

"Oh no, we're just another class of servant to most of our employers, and the servants consider us not proper servants either, so mostly they have nothing to do with us and we have to get by on our own."

"Doesn't Blanco feel like this is an outrage? He must have devoted his whole life to his art." Nerissa thought about Blanco's precision and grace and realised George was probably right. Blanco had probably been practising since he was her own age. Nerissa had always thought that it was just something he had picked up along with cooking, making camp, scouting, hunting, ordering things at bars, going to market and killing attackers on the road, all of which he was equally adept at.

"He never really talks much of it. He takes what he is given and does not complain."

"It's a shame you don't get the respect you deserve." George sighed and Nerissa felt touched that he seemed generally moved by people's lack of respect for Blanco.

"What has Owen been doing today?" George asked in the same enquiring tone of voice he had been using previously.

The bottom fell out of Nerissa's stomach and her heart rate shot up.

Here it was, the questions she had been expecting. She balled her hands into fists, took a deep breath and began.

"I am sorry, sir. Owen has been nothing but good to me. He has given me clothes, he has given me food, he has given me a bed and even when I lost him a lot of money all he does is is friendly and kind. I cannot return that with dishonesty and betrayal. If that means that I must go back to my cell then so be it. I would rather do that then hurt Master Owen."

She found she was staring at the ceiling, unable to meet George's eyes as her speech tumbled from her mouth. She lowered her gaze, so that she was again looking into George's eyes with trepidation. He was smiling at her still but this smile was different. It reached his eyes so that they twinkled and it radiated warmth.

He got up and walked over to Nerissa. Nerissa cowered a little despite the smile, but all George did was put his arm out, take Nerissa's hand in his own large calloused one and pump her's up and down in a hand shake.

"I admire your loyalty." He said quietly to her, he glanced to the drapes that covered his windows and cried

"Owen you can come out now." The drapes gave an almighty heave and a large form was barrowing out from under them straight at Nerissa. She was pulled off her feet as she was wrapped in a tight hug, unable to move her arms as Owen enveloped her.

"Nerissa, well done. Thank you! You were marvellous. I'm so glad! I knew you had the right sort of stuff!" Owen was babbling as he hugged her

"Ok Owen, put her down." George said jovially.

Nerissa was placed back on the floor and couldn't help but smile as Owen beamed at her. Edward caught her eye and he was smiling too.

"What are you doing here, Owen?" Nerissa asked

"I asked Owen to keep an eye on you. I also asked you to keep an eye on Owen. This was not to keep him out of trouble, which I really actually needs, nor was it to find out any of Owen's wrong doings, as I feel Nerissa thought. It was to test Nerissa's worth as an agent. I was impressed by your knife throwing ability and your hearing on the night of the banquet and I thought I could make use of you one day. I asked Owen to be here so that I could compare your account of his day with his. I am pleased with the loyalty (and courage) you demonstrated in not saying what Owen has been doing, however your use as an agent is limited, you suffer badly from nerves and that's pretty fatal in an agent."

"I'm sorry." Nerissa said downcast. It was her stupid nerves again, she hated how they got in the way of everything.

"Do not be." George said quietly "Most people suffer from them and subjecting you to this test was a manipulative and unfair thing of me to do."

"So she doesn't have to do any spying?" Owen asked George as Nerissa continued to look at the floor. If she couldn't be a spy, what did that leave her, George wouldn't want her around if she was no use, she'd go back to her cell for sure.

"That's correct." George replied and Nerissa steeled herself for the dismissal she was sure to get but instead she felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned and found Owen was beaming at her.

"That's super! That means you can stay with me! We're going to have such a jolly time! I'll show you the palace and you could show me more of your sword dancer tricks and I'll teach you to read some more and – "

"But Owen, I'm going to have to eat, it's going to cost you money, I can't accept it all, that's not right." Nobody does anything for nothing in this world Nerissa remembered

Owen waved her statement away

"You could be my assistant or something" but he paused and his beam diminished "although I guess you'll want to leave with Blanco when he's released."

Nerissa looked round to George

"Is he going to be released soon?" Nerissa was surprised by the excitement in her voice. Blanco had been nothing like these civilised Tortallians, he had been vicious, cruel, untalkative, measly, but for all that he was the only familiar person that Nerissa had, she did want to see him.

"That I cannot say. We are barely closer to working out what happened the night you arrived and whilst Blanco could not have thrown the knife himself we are still treating him with suspicion. There are some people that feel he may have been a part of a bigger operation." George could not disguise the discomfort those words brought to him.

Nerissa looked round at Owen.

"I don't mind. I'd like to be your assistant. I don't like being a Sword Dancer. When Blanco is released, then I can think about it then. Till then, I'd like to serve you."

"Do you think they'd let me?" Owen asked George over the top of Nerissa's head "She's not a squire and she is a bit young."

"They'd have a whole lot of difficulty stopping you. You know their Majesties haven't been able to change those boorish laws about a Master's rights over his servants."

"Oh Nerissa we're going to have such a jolly time!" Owen said clapping his hands together. "Come on lets go to sleep." And Owen almost pushed her out of the door with his exuberance. She just caught Edward urgently saying

"I've got to tell you –" before the George's door was closed and Nerissa was dragged along in Owen's wake back to her new rooms.

* * *

><p><em>Just a quick message to say thanks for you all reading for this long, it's only going to get longer! Sorry there was such a wait between me posting this and the last chapter and I hope it's worth the wait. I'd just like to thank all the people who have reviewed this story, Booknerds, Dom-Loves-Kel and missgrant, it really means alot to me when I get a good review! <em>


	9. Chapter 9

Nerissa woke up the next day with light dripping from the slit windows of Owen's lounge. She hadn't meant to sleep so long and so wondered if anybody would be angry. She supposed she had had such a long and eventful day the day before that she had overslept, ignoring usually good body clock.

She looked around the small lounge with its comfy armchairs and found a fire had already been lit, it kept the growing winter chill from the room. Nerissa thanked Mithros that the room was again floored in wood, not stone, as she stepped barefoot out of her pallet. She was sure that her feet would have turned numb from cold had the floor been stone.

Whilst the fire crackled in the grate there was no other noise. Nerissa put her ear to the door that led to Owen's room, but could hear nothing from within.

The armchair was too plush for her so she sat down on the wooden stool that was stowed under a desk cluttered with screwed up paper, ink bottles and goose feather quills. A small chalk board was in the centre of the desk with more of the lines and shapes Nerissa knew were written words chalked upon it, but she could make no sense out of it. From her lesson the night before she recognised the letter N at the top.

Staring at the letters began to give her a headache so she wondered what she should do. She didn't know if Owen was awake, if he was in, what she was expected to do. A rumbling growl from her belly told her that she was also hungry, although she knew that she could ignore that.

"Owen?" she asked tremulously, but there was no reply.

Nerissa went into the washroom and began to dress and wash her face. That seemed the most sensible thing to do.

When she returned there was a girl quite a bit older than her in the black and white of the palace servants stood in Owen's rooms.

The girl gave a shriek and dropped the chamber pot she'd been carrying. Luckily it was empty. Nerissa rushed to help the girl pick up the fallen pot, but the girl batted her away in a fluster.

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She babbled.

"That's ok." Nerissa said soothingly "I'm Nerissa. It's nice to meet you." She said politely. With manners no doubt ingrained in her the other girl replied,

"I'm Eunice, it is nice to meet you also" they both stood smiling at each other, unsure where to go from there.

"Sir Owen is usually out at this time on the practise grounds or the stables so I wasn't expecting anyone you see."

"Oh that's ok."

"Are you a servant?" Eunice asked her face shrewd with interest

"I'm his assistant." Nerissa said. She didn't really feel like Owen's assistant, she still didn't know what that would mean, although she was sure that Owen would be a better master than Blanco. Still it was a better reason for being in Owen's rooms early in the morning than whatever this girl could guess.

"Oh I see." Eunice said leaning back and pushing a lock of her mousey brown hair – which had fallen loose out of her tight bun – back from her face with the hand not holding the chamber pot. "Bit young aren't you." She said almost sniffily

Nerissa didn't really know what to say to this. Nobody had really commented on her age before. She'd been living on the road for years and they had made her more mature than most people her age. She obviously wasn't required to answer as Eunice went on

"Well I've got to clean now so it's best if you just get out." Nerissa felt this was a rather abrupt dismissal, Eunice had already turned away from her so there was little Nerissa felt she could do. She opened the door and slid out.

As the door slammed behind her, Nerissa realised that she could probably have held her ground. She had no idea how much power she had as Owen's assistant, but she was sure in his own rooms she had some at least.

Still, it was too late now. She wondered if she should go down and find Owen in the practise yard or the stables where Eunice had said he may be. Just as she was realising she hadn't any clue as to which way to go to get there, Owen came round the corner.

"Lo, Nerissa!" he called. "Did you get my message?"

"What message?"Nerissa asked

"The one on the chalk board." He said confused, then clapped a hand to his forehead "Woops, forgot you wouldn't be able to read it. Come on. There's someone I want you to meet properly." Owen said as he came abreast of where Nerissa still stood. He began to lead her down the corridor in a way that she hadn't gone before. As they went he discussed the large tapestries and the occasional portrait

"Not as many portraits round this end of the palace, they've all been put in the more visited areas, like the quarters for the ambassadors. Makes the corridors look more impressive. I'm not complaining. The Tapestries keep these areas warmer and they are beautiful, aren't they?" Owen kept the running commentary up as they went.

As they rounded yet another bend into a corridor Nerissa did recognise, they saw a lone figure.

"Princess Shinkokami!" Owen called, lengthening his stride to reach the woman sooner. Nerissa recognised her as the Queen's companion the previous few times Nerissa had glimpsed the Queen previously. She was wearing an Eastern style woollen dress of a beautiful lilac colour with a shirt beneath, this was offset by the Yamani style wooden platform shoes Nerissa could see poking out from under her skirts.

As Owen approached her he bowed, and Nerissa followed suit before she realised she should probably have curtsied.

"Don't bother Owen." The Princess said sadly, glancing at the closed door beside her

"Don't bother with what?" Owen asked

"Seeing Kel. She's not in."

"Oh." Owen said and his utterance was laced with disappointment

"She didn't turn up for morning glaive practise so I came to see if she's alright but she won't answer her door and I can't hear anything inside. I'm a bit worried about her to tell you the truth. She never misses glaive practise if she can help it and she spent a lot of time yesterday with Meenu Natageera. I don't like him." She confided "I don't think he likes me either." She looked downcast as she said all this.

"Princess, should you really be going about the Palace alone?" Owen asked. Her head shot up,

"Oh seriously Owen! You sound just like Roald. He's been going on and on about security. Jon's over the worst of his injuries, the healers say he'll be ready for his party tonight and if I can't be safe in the Palace where can I be safe?" She retorted angrily.

Then she sighed "I think I'm getting a little stressed at the moment, I didn't mean to shout, please forgive me Owen." She brushed past him with hunched shoulders, clacking away on her wooden shoes.

"Ah well." Owen said to Nerissa as they watched the Princess go, "I'll have to introduce you to her some other time." He gave a little smile then led her back the way they had come.

Nerissa glanced quickly over her shoulder to look at the large tapestry she had hidden behind with Edward the night before.

"Can we go to the Mess Hall, Owen?" she asked "I'm hungry."


	10. Chapter 10

That evening found George sat with five syrupy skinned Cathakis in the book room of the Palace. His eyes darted over to the ballroom beyond the open doorway, filled with a press of Tortallian nobility. He could see his wife in her usual courtly attire of wide leg breeches in a dove grey and a mustard yellow tunic embroidered in gold around the sleeves. Her violet eyes seem to shoot flames at him and she wore an exceedingly severe expression on her face. George saw that she was being talked at by an elderly ha Minch matriarch. He didn't dare ignore her any longer.

"Please excuse me. I have been neglecting my wife." He told them in Cathaki and they bowed their heads in understanding. He strode over to Alannah and bowed to the ha Minch woman

"My apologies, but could I trouble you to allow my wife a dance with her foolish husband." Alannah was still looking murderously at him so George decided that she didn't have the patience to watch him compliment the elder woman until she was happy to let the King's Champion from her clutches. So he simply, and quickly, led Alannah away, with a firm grip upon her arm, onto the dance floor.

"It took you long enough." Alannah said angrily as George put his arm around her waist and began to twirl her around. Alannah clomped about; even in her new silk slippers she had none of the natural grace of the other female dancers. George looked down at his rather stout wife and smiled, he wouldn't have her any other way. "Stop smirking! You know I can't dance. It's making me feel ridiculous! I don't need you laughing at me as well."

"I had to give a good reason for taking you away. You were looking so plaintively at me, I thought you wanted a dance." George said with light sarcasm

"You knew perfectly well that I didn't. Trickster take you! Why are these stupid steps so complicated? That ha Minch woman was talking my ears off. I must have been stuck there for hours."

George knew that Alannah was being over dramatic

"I thought you'd be by the King's side all night."

"I would have been but he sent me away, said that I was giving the impression he was on his death bed, what was the reason for having a ball to prove to everyone he was fine if I was clucking over him like a healer or a priest?" George thought that Jon was probably right but Alannah looked so frustrated that he decided she wouldn't want to hear it.

"Can we stop now?" Alannah asked. George looked over his shoulder and saw that the ha Minch matriarch was in discussion with an uncomfortable looking Raoul of Goldenlake. They were safe to beat a hasty retreat.

"Did the Cathakis tell you anything useful?" asked Alannah as they made their way to the edge of the large gold encrusted ballroom.

"Useful in the long term, issues with crops and that sort of thing but nothing about the recent attack on the King. I'm hoping that my investigation into the merchant Brotsmith will give me some sort of new lead."

"The one that's suddenly got all that money?" Alannah asked

"Yes that one. If I could just work out where all that money has come from, I believe that I might have something" George looked over at the large double door leading in from the hallway, to the side of the grand majestic staircase. He'd become distracted by the appearance of Owen

"Just one second, love, I'll be right back." He said to Alannah. She sighed but nodded and headed to a corner where Gary the Younger stood talking to a few of the Yamani delegates.

"Owen!" George called and Owen started in surprise

"Hello George." Owen said distractedly as he continued to search the bobbing heads of the crowd. He seemed to be looking for someone. He asked the question that he had intended to

"Where's Nerissa? You're supposed to be guarding her." Owen looked at George with a bit of a confused look

"I left Edward to watch her. He said that you sent him so that I could come to the ball."

"Since when have you wanted to go to a ball?" George had done nothing of the sort. George thought amusedly about what Edward might be up to.

George wasn't really that concerned that Nerissa may try to run away. It was disappointing that she wasn't to make a good agent. He hadn't really meant to interrogate her when she had come to tell him about Owen but he hadn't been able to resist giving her a little prodding for information. The information she had given to him about Blanco had intrigued him. He seemed very self contained. Yet from the treatment Nerissa was obviously expecting from Owen he seemed to be heavy handed in the extreme, which didn't seem to make sense.

Owen wasn't paying him any attention. He simply wandered into the crowd.

George returned to his wife's side and found her in discussion with the Yamani's on their previous experiences with Tortallians. The only Yamani delegate missing was Meenu Natageera. Typical, thought George. Suddenly George realised what had been missing from Meenu's report, any information about his stay on the Tortallian-Galla border.

"so when I first heard someone saying they were full, I thought they were saying that they were pregnant and naturally for a Yamani this is exceedingly exciting news. Nobody understood why I was so excited that they had eaten their fill for weeks. By then I had found men saying what I thought meant they were pregnant and realised that I must be mistaken. I did feel the fool!" The eldest Yamani finished telling the group.

When the other Yamani's had also told their tales of multi-lingual misunderstandings George said

"It's a shame that Meenu Natageera isn't here. He seems a lively sort of chap, I expect he also has some good tales. I heard that he stayed for a while in Tortal like many of you."

The other Yamanis traded looks

"He hasn't ever spoken about spending any time in Tortal. He was a very recent addition to our group, he joined us just as we were boarding out ship to Tortal and none of us are really certain of where he learned Tortallian. We all thought that – " and here the Yamani man trailed off as the eldest man tugged at his dark blue Kimono style coat, almost inperceptively, but still George saw.

"But he is still sent from the Emperor though." George prompted the men, smiling, trying to put them at ease.

"Yes of course." The eldest man said briskly "He had all the usual paperwork. As we didn't know he had spent any time in Tortal we just thought that he was an odd choice as an ambassador but his family has connections with the Emperor so it's not so unusual." The eldest man looked sternly at the man who had originally been speaking about Meenu. George could feel that that wasn't really what the first man had been about to say at all.

There was something distinctly odd about Meenu Natageera.

George bore in mind that paperwork was very easy to forge.


	11. Chapter 11

"Come on, let's go for a walk!"

Nerissa looked at Edward dubiously.

"But Owen said we should stay here."

"Yeah, but it's stuffy in here, it's nice out there and," here Edward smiled mischievously "I bet there'll be lots of other people out for a midnight stroll, away from the prying eyes of the party. Or rather, prying ears."

"Why should that make me want to go?" Nerissa asked, folding her arms over her chest as she sat on the desk stool. Edward was already half way to the door. He held his hand out

"Oh come on. Or I'll go without you." Edward said stubbornly.

"You can't do that! Owen said I have to be watched at all times!" Nerissa cried. Edward simply smirked and shook his extended hand at her again, urging her to join him.

Nerissa looked out of the window's small rooms, and could just make out the hedges of the Palace gardens. She erred inside herself. Which would Owen rather she do? She was breaking rules either way. Would he rather she stay put unattended or go out into the Palace gardens with Edward. Despite what she had said to Edward, she really did want to go. Life was so much more entertaining around Edward. His sarcasm and gossip made her laugh almost instantly. She'd been intrigued to hear that the older girl Eunice was apparently having an affair with a noble, although the servant's grape vine was unsure who the particular man was.

Anyway, Nerissa thought, she'd been for walks all round the palace all day with Owen, why would Owen consider this any different. She assured herself that Owen would be fine with it.

Nerissa met Edward's eyes once more and sighed. She got off the stool laboriously and took Edward's hand. It was pleasantly warm

"Alright then. If you insist."

"You know you want to." Edward said as he opened the door and ushered her out, Nerissa was aware that he dropped her hand as he did this and she felt irrationally disappointed

"Alright I do." Nerissa said truthfully "but don't think I want to spend all night spying on people. Or hiding behind, I don't know, pansies the whole time."

"Pansies!" Edward scoffed "Like that would work!"

"I was just trying to think of something like a tapestry."

"Because pansies and tapestries are so alike!"

"Oh stop it!" Nerissa said annoyed and amused at the same time

As they walked towards the doorway to the ornamental gardens, from which they could feel a chill autumnal wind winding from, they could hear the strings of the lutes from within the ballroom. They passed a young woman dressed in a maroon ball gown ordering a servant about as she tended to her messy bun, no longer elegant, which fell about her head like a mess heap. Edward scoffed and Nerissa hit him.

As they walked about the garden, between the neat hedges and geometric flower plantations they saw no one. Nerissa shivered

"Nobody's out, Master wise-man." She said to Edward teasingly "Looks like it's too cold."

"We're just in the wrong bit." Edward said striding into the lead. Nerissa followed behind him as Edward headed for an area of illuminated ground, lit by the light spilling from the ballroom.

They stopped before they reached it and Edward said, looking at the ground

"It's nice here isn't it?"

"Yeah it is." Nerissa said evenly, feeling a little confused. She looked around her. She was stood upon a gravel path between carefully arranged squares of grass and flowers. There was a small bush every few feet in every direction. It felt a bit too neat to Nerissa but in the darkness of the night, with just the ballroom's light lingering upon the hedges a little while away, the grass already glittering with a small amount of frost, and the thrumming of the strings and babble of chatter from inside dusting the cold breeze, Nerissa could only agree that it was 'nice' at least.

"It's really lovely, Edward." She clarified. She was glad he'd bullied her into coming out with him. Edward smiled at her and it was nothing like his usual smirks or mischievous grins. It radiated a simple heartfelt pleasure.

Nerissa let out an involuntary shriek as Edward grabbed her wrist and dragged her down behind a large bush.

"What?" Nerissa hissed angrily

"Someone's coming." Edward whispered hurriedly, all of his previous relaxed happiness wiped away.

"So?" she remembered how last time Edward had forced her into hiding, she had been quite within her rights to have carried on walking. This felt like a repeat of the same scenario

"Sssshh!" Edward said, leaning his head, ear raised

"I hate all this sneaking around." Nerissa said half heartedly, resigning herself to hiding and settling herself more comfortably upon the dusty roots of the bush.

"It's great fun!" Edward protested distractedly in a whisper "Now ssshh!"

Nerissa could feel the sharp branches of the bush scratching her back, and her bum was already numbing. She tried to rearrange her legs but Edward was crouched too close to her for her to move. His silhouette was edged with the golden light of the magical lanterns filling the ballroom somewhere beyond their bush. He really was very close. Breathing over her, she could feel it on her face, warm and smelling slightly of broth, it wasn't unpleasant at all. Nerissa felt a swelling urge to touch Edward, maybe just to brush him on the arm. But she quelled it quickly.

"What's going on?" she whispered to Edward to distract herself.

No sooner than those words had escaped her lips than she heard voices.

"Where have you been all day?"

She gasped. She recognised who was speaking.

"The Princess has been really worried you know. The Princess. You know, your friend. I've been worried too! What's been happening?"

"Nothing Owen!" Nerissa recognised this voice too, although she had only heard it whilst hiding behind a tapestry "Aren't I allowed to relax at all, to go about my business without everyone wondering where I've gone. I've got a life beyond hitting people with sticks and getting bruises off of Peachblossom you know."

"You've done well enough doing those things for the past ten years. What's made you decide to branch out now?" There was none of Owen's usual light enthusiasm in his words

"Just because you and the other boys don't see it, I'm not just a knight. I'm a woman as well."

"Don't be stupid." Owen said quietly. There was a pause and then Kel's voice sounded as if from far away

"What? What did you say?" the pitch of her voice rose and fell as if she were trying to hold down anger

"It's nothing to do with that. It's because of that Meenu guy."

"I don't need a guy to be involved for me to be a woman, Owen! I am, and always will be a woman. What was the point in wearing all those dresses to dinner, for getting my eyes blackened by Joren –"

"Why him Kel? Why of all people him?" Owen yelled over Kel's increasingly loud voice "George tells me he's a womaniser back home, and I swear he's not telling me everything. Can't you see, he's no good! It's written all over him!"

"I'm not some foolish chit!" Kel was almost screaming "I know what I may be getting into."

"Why him? Why not, I don't know, Merric! Or Dom!"

Kel scoffed louding

"Or me Kel! Gods Kel! I'm in love with you! Why not me?"

Nerissa groaned and tugged at Edward's sleeve. She really didn't want to be listening to this.

"You're what?" Kel's voice returned to normal with the rapidity of a deflating balloon.

"I've known you're a woman for years. I've been having fights over your honour for almost as long but when there didn't seem to be any truth in them I thought maybe, maybe, one day you'd say you wanted to be with me. You've always cared for me. And we've been in such jolly fights" Nerissa could hear that Owen was babbling now. She clenched her eyes tight shut, but they weren't keeping out Owen's voice. She wished Kel would say something, anything to stop Owen talking.

"Owen." Kel said quietly "Look at me. You don't want me." And Nerissa could hear the compassion in Kel's voice. Even though they had never met properly and Nerissa had found Kel imposing on their only ever meeting she felt a rush of gratitude towards the older woman. She was not about to hurt Owen. "I'm battered and scarred and bruised. I won't be about to settle down and organise a home."

"That's ok. We can go fight Bandits together." Owen said brightly

"That's sweet of you Owen, but you deserve so much better than me. You deserve someone that loves you equally. Someone that's prepared to wash and mend your clothes and plan what you'll wear to balls and sweet talk your aunts. You don't need another muddy guy. You need someone who completes you. I shall never stop being your friend. Your greatest friend. But you don't want a friend as a wife."

"Yes I do." Nerissa heard Owen say quietly but stubbornly.

"I won't complete you, Owen. We're too much alike."

"No we're not" burst Owen "Your kind and gentle and don't get angry and keep on at something until it's finished, you never give up on a person neither."

"How are you not like that Owen?" Kel asked "You didn't give up on me when I marched into Scanra. You treat your warhorse like your best friend. What about your new friend Nerissa, aren't you helping her like I helped Tobe? You stuck with Lord Wyldon, right till the end, even though I bet someone like Neal would have given up. Haven't you been systematically removing all the bandits from the country just like you said you would in your first year as a page? How are you any different from me?"

Nerissa looked at Edward. He wore a thoughtful face as he listened.

"Edward!" Nerissa hissed at him. Edward started and looked down at Nerissa "Can we please go!" Nerissa implored him. "I don't want to have to listen to this." She had just heard Kel break Owen's heart in the nicest way possible, but she did not want to have to listen to Owen's pain any longer.

Edward nodded dispiritedly and he took Nerissa's hand and they scuttled across the flower bed they were hidden in then shuffled along the wall. Nerissa turned and saw two dark huddled shapes just out of reach of the ballroom's lights and sighed. Her heart squeezed for Owen. She hated the thought that he was in any sort of pain.

As they re-entered the Palace, Edward dropped Nerissa's hand and said.

"Did you hear that!" a grin plastered across his face.

"Yes." Nerissa said simply

"That was so good, I can't believe we heard the whole thing. Why did I let you drag me away?"

"Drag you away?" Nerissa flared up at once "Are you serious! You enjoyed that? That was the most horrible thing I have ever had to listen to." Nerissa stomped away down the corridor, back to Owen's rooms

"Nerissa wait!" Edward called after her "Let me explain." He cried running to catch up with her

"There is nothing to explain! You're just a heartless spy! I can't believe I thought I might have feelings for you!"

"You what?" Edward said, nonplussed.

"Oh great!" Nerissa cried exasperated with herself "Well it doesn't matter now. How could I when all you care about is the next big piece of information! That's all people are to you just pieces to be moved round a board and manipulated!"

"No it's not like that. I really like you Nerissa."

"Yeah, and what about Owen? You like him too? You've got a funny way of showing it!" Nerissa cried as she stalked to Owen's door. She fumbled in her pockets to get the key ready so that Edward wouldn't be able to waylay her, to explain to her. She didn't want to hear his reasoning, she just wanted to get inside. She could feel the back of her throat turning to sand paper. She didn't want to cry in front of Edward, to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had got to her.

"Goodnight Edward." She said with finality, ripping the door open and slamming it behind her.

Edward rapped on the door with his fist.

"Nerissa!" he called plaintively. He collapsed against the hard, cold wooden door, feeling his hands heat with pain, from the force of his knocking.

"Hello Edward" came a sly voice from beside him.

Edward whipped round and found Eunice had crept up and was leaning against the wall languidly.

"Having a spot of difficulty are we? You're new play mate not up for fun?" she simpered with delight and malice "Why don't you crawl back to the city and spend your time with those merchant brats again? I'm bored of you cluttering up my palace." She flicked her head and turned away, sashaying away down the corridor with what she obviously thought was a seductive sway.

"He's cheating on you." Edward said simply.

Eunice spun round, glaring at where Edward had been with fire in her eyes, but Edward had already gone.

"You come back here Edward!" she screamed down the corridor but she got no reply.


	12. Chapter 12

"You don't like me do you?" Eunice asked, pausing in her sweeping, leaning over Nerissa. Nerissa fiddled with a piece of chalk, the black board resting upon her lap. She couldn't meet Eunice's eyes. Morning sunlight glittered into Nerissa's eyes, making her blink, reflected from a fine silver bracelet around Eunice's wrist.

"Well you know what?" Eunice persisted "you won't be seeing me around much longer. I've got better things to do. I'm wasted tidying up after mad knights who crawl around after bandits." Eunice's lip curled with disdain "People are finally starting to realise who I'm going to be. Letting me clean the ambassadors' rooms occasionally as a treat." She spat in derision "They'll learn. Oh what a lesson I'll teach them. See I'll be leaving the Palace soon. I've been promised-" Eunice stopped as if in midstream and smiled to herself.

Nerissa had begun to stare at her in surprise. She hadn't expected Eunice to say so much or so many hurtful things.

"Yeah, that will wipe the smirks off their faces. Off of Edward's face. He'll see!" Eunice caught Nerissa watching her and smirked at her "Yeah I'm sure precious Edward has told you everything. Well looks as if things aren't as rosy for you neither."

Nerissa looked back down to her black board and began to draw her letters, focussing all her mind on forming the round symbols of a and b, trying to ignore Eunice's barbed comments. There was nothing she could do about them. She would just have to wait to relax till after Eunice left. Eunice seemed in an even worse mood than before and it made Nerissa feel jumpy.

She also felt jumpy because she was sure that Owen had not yet left for the practise courts. She was sure that he was still in his room, hidden away and she was worried. She worried irrationally if he might do something stupid and hurt himself. The players were forever singing songs about men who kill themselves for love. Nerissa tried to tell herself that Owen was too strong a person to do that; to take the easy way out.

As she was beginning writing out her letter Cs, Owen's door clicked open. Owen tottered out still in a night shirt and collapsed in the chair beside the fire. Eunice started to clean more vigorously behind Owen.

The armchair was facing Nerissa so she could see the grim etching of Owen's face, as if he had aged ten years over night. Owen sunk his head into his hands and groaned.

"Owen, are you ok?" Nerissa asked quietly

"Him. Why? Him." Owen was whispering from behind his hands.

"Owen-" Nerissa began, but she really had no idea what to say. Owen lifted his head up, his face was scrunched up in a way she had never seen before.

"He is a good for nothing scoundrel!" Owen cried louder than before.

Nerissa didn't know whether to react in surprise or understanding.

"What could she possibly see in him?" Nerissa fiddled with her chalk uncomfortably. She didn't want Owen to know that she had heard the entirety of his embarrassment.

"They don't seem to spend any time apart. Mithros curse the day that Meenu Natageera came to court!" Owen said venomously.

Both of them started when they heard a slight whimper from behind Owen's armchair. Owen was so surprised his face returned to its usual creasing. Owen craned round the back of his chair in time to see Eunice sprint for the door, wrench it open and sprint away. They could hear her feet thumping the corridor floor before their door slammed in her wake.

"What was that about?" Owen said utterly distracted from his own concerns "Is she upset?"

"She seemed to be." Nerissa said, latching on immediately with relief to the change in conversation "she said that she wasn't going to be cleaning for you much longer, said she'd be moving onto better things."

"Oh." Owen said simply, staring into space, clearly no longer thinking about Eunice at all.


	13. Chapter 13

A knock sounded upon Myles' study door.

It was late. Whoever it was was lucky to still find George there. 'Well' George thought ruefully 'Perhaps not." He had found himself working late often this past week. But the net was closing in tightly. Soon he would capture his prey.

Even so, there was still evidence missing. What had happened to Meenu Natageera on the Tortal- Galla border?

At least George knew where Brotsmith's new found money had come from. That formed the lynch pin in his evidence against his adversary. Although this evidence was compelling it wasn't enough evidence.

"Enter." George said.

Edward entered.

George should have known. It would be Edward who knew that he'd still be working late. Since arrival in Corus, Edward had quickly become George's most adept informant and was as useful in the Palace as he had been amongst the Merchants.

But another person entered shortly after Edward. George sat up straighter. This was an odder occurrence. He sifted through his knowledge of the Palace servants for this girl, about eighteen years old, was wearing their unmistakable uniform. Her name was Eunice, family all servants, first to work at the Palace, disliked hard labour, notoriously flirtatious. Her eyes were red rimmed but they did not disguise the snobbish turn of her nose and her straight posture. She walked gracefully into the centre of the room.

"Yes?" George asked, prompting her to speak

"I have some information for you." She said clearly

George leaned back into his chair. Whatever it was could well be useful, even if it was false accusation in the hopes of advancement, but he was feeling too tired to really feel much anticipation for Eunice's story.

"It was Meenu Natageera who attempted to kill the King not three nights past."

"Oh?" George asked slowly "What gives you that idea?"

"Because I was stood beside him as he threw the knife, one of the knives in the target the Sword Dancers had used."

George was studying Eunice carefully. A witness statement would be invaluable in proving Meenu's guilt. Eunice spoke clearly without faltering or looking away, displaying none of the usual signs of a liar. Yet it seemed too simple.

"Why have you not spoken of this till now?" George asked

"Meenu, I mean Master Natageera promised me something?"

"What did he promise?" George said sharply

Eunice's voice caught with emotion and she looked up at the study's ceiling. When she looked back at George, her face looked more blotched with red than before

"He promised, he promised that he would take me away from the Palace, that he loved me, that when the King was dead he would be greatly rewarded and we would be able to live in luxury. But then I found out-" here Eunice glanced quickly at Edward, who skulked in the shadows "he was unfaithful." George inwardly sighed, Eunice could easily be a spurned lover simply out for revenge.

"Did he explain why he felt the King should be killed?"

"No. I found letters in his rooms once, he was angry that I had found them but I could not read them. They were written in Yamani."

"Is there anything else you feel I should know about Master Natageera?" George asked patiently

"He never revealed more than he needed to." Eunice said bitterly "he told me the death of the King was necessary, that it would save his countryman, that afterwards he would be powerful enough to take me away. I believed everything. I even believed that his scars where from being mauled by a bear. Pah!" she spat her derision.

"Scars?" George asked absent mindedly, his mind already running through his next move.

"Yeah, all up his back, like scratches or whip marks."

It was time to play his hand.

"Edward, get the Palace Guard, alert them, tell them we must not let Meenu Natageera to escape." George said "Eunice, you must stay here and speak no work to anyone, understood?"

Edward dashed out the room. George began to buckle on the belt of knives he kept in the study cabinet, slipping more into his boots and then belting his sword above his knife belt. He thought furiously as he did so. The ambassador's suit was the floor above and there was a servant's staircase within his very study would bring him within four doors of Natageera's very rooms. Would the earliest capture of Natageera possible or would this simply alert Natageera to his danger sooner. It was true that if George failed in his attempt Natageera would know that the game was up. That still left him the task of escaping the Palace Guard.

George made his decision. He strode to the concealed doorway beside Myles' bookshelf and ripped it open. He took the small stairs two at a step until he arrived at another small door. Through the doors peep hole he could see no one and he opened the doors onto the plushy decorated Ambassadorial corridor. Some Conté ancestors imperiously stared down at him but he ignored them, his eyes fixed upon the door to Natageera's rooms.

He crouched down as he reached it, trying to slow his heavy breathing, trying to make less noise. He checked the key hole, it was empty. He stroked the doorknob, thanking Mithros that it made no noise but the door would not push open. He released the door knob and pulled out one of his smallest knives and some curved metal he still kept on him out of habit. Lock picks were invaluable, a life lesson he would live by till his dying breath.

With a minimal amount of scratching and clicking George could manage the lock flicked open. George smiled despite himself; lock picking was a skill hard to lose.

He stood up and eased the door open. The living quarters looked deserted, though their darkened depths could conceal a man easily. George pulled some knives into his hands: infinitely more useful in so enclosed a space than his sword and entered the room.

Sweat prickled the back of his neck but he ignored it. He felt like a highly strung lute, ready to send out a jarring note if he were plucked. His eyes darted all over the small lounge as he entered slowly. But no attacker emerged. George looked up quickly just in case he had missed something, but the ceiling was bare.

George kicked the washroom door open but it too was bare.

As George gave the same treatment to the bedroom door his stomach bounced. He'd seen movement. He levelled his knives, ready to fly at an attacker.

But no attack came.

George realised the movement he had seen was the flapping of a curtain, dancing in the breeze from a flung open window. The night breeze tickled George's sweat flecked brow. George leaned on the window ledge and cursed. It would be easy, at least for him, and he suspected Natageera, to edge along the outside ledge or climb down the two floors to the ground.

It seemed his adversary had flown the coop.


	14. Chapter 14

Nerissa was awoken by a thumping sound.

She rolled over in her palette, so much comfier than any bed she had ever known, she felt like a bird snuggled deep within a downy nest, protected from wind and rain by a protective mother.

Nerissa scrunched her eyes up.

The thumping was continuing to sound. It seemed to be coming from beyond the door.

She was awake now. Reluctantly she opened her eyes but she could feel no compulsion to leave her palette.

"Nerissa?" Owen's voice asked quietly. He was leaning out his bedroom door, still in his long nightshirt, but he'd pulled on some hose, and clasped in the hand not on the door was his sword, unsheathed.

Nerissa sat up, pushing her blankets off, feeling alertness ripple over her as she recognised concern in Owen's eyes.

"What do you think it is?" Nerissa asked Owen

"It sounds like running feet. I can't think what would get so many people out in the corridors at this time though."

Nerissa was still unsure about what life at the Palace was like but Owen's confusion unsettled her. If this was unusual to Owen then something extra-ordinary, possibly bad had happened.

"Only one thing to do." Owen said moving to the door and pulling it open.

The sounds of outside became instantly amplified, along with the running footsteps there was too the chinking of chain mail and weaponry.

"What's going on?" Owen demanded of a Palace Guard dashing by, but he had turned the corner before Owen had finished speaking and there was no reply.

"Owen!" a voice called down the corridor. Edward came into view panting, he doubled over in the illuminated doorway "You ok? Nerissa ok?"

Nerissa averted her eyes, she hadn't spoken or seen Edward since she had yelled at him the previous night. She didn't really fancy seeing him again so soon, let alone seeing him in her night dress.

"Edward what's going on?" Owen asked instead

"It's Meenu Natageera, he's to be arrested for attempted murder, 'cept we can't find him. He's run, see? Look, I gotta run! S'long as you're alright. Keep out the corridors, ok?" and with that he had dashed off again.

A couple more members of the Palace guard clanked past the doorway that Owen still stood in, dumbstruck with the news.

"We've got to warn Kel!" Owen said finally

"What about staying out of the corridors?" Nerissa asked

"We can't let her find out from just anybody." Owen said beseechingly "Come on!"

He grabbed his travelling cloak, almost pulling the coat stand over in his haste, he pulled it around himself hurriedly.

"You've got to come with me. I can't leave you behind." He then threw his tan jacket at Nerissa, covering her. She shook herself out of her blankets and sunk her arms into the jacket. Her hands reached to the elbows and it dropped down to below her knees. As Owen laced himself into boots, she slipped into her original Sword Dancer shoes, easiest to put on in a hurry.

"Owen, you can't carry your sword down the hall." Nerissa said calmly, though she felt on edge from her awakening, she still didn't see the importance in Owen's errand. Kel didn't seem the sort to fall apart upon hearing bad news.

"Get my belt then." Owen said tersely "Please." He added. Nerissa smiled. Even in a hurry, Owen still treated her like an equal.

She dashed into his room and found his discarded sword belt on his rucked up bed.

When she handed it to him, he buckled it round his broad waist with fingers that didn't seem to be working properly due to his haste.

"Come on let's go!" Owen said wrenching the door open. His travelling cloak whipped around after him as he spun into the corridor.

"Owen, don't you need to lock your door?" Nerissa called to him. Owen groaned, dropping his shoulders with annoyance. He was practically jumping up and down in his haste to get going.

"Is it that you want to tell her?" Nerissa asked, trying not to allow suspicion to enter her voice, as Owen turned the key violently in the door

"No, I just think she deserves to hear it as soon as possible." Owen said, and there was no trace of any devious intent in his voice or face. Nerissa believed him wholeheartedly.

They headed in the opposite direction to the oncoming Palace guard, going in the direction Nerissa had come when searching for George's office. With Owen striding before her at double speed (she was left running to catch up) they were quickly before the tapestry now notorious to Nerissa and Kel's door.

Owen knocked upon it. There were no guards this far along the corridor but they could still hear the thumping of the boots far off.

"Owen?" Kel's voice was startled. She had pulled open her door a crack, they could see her hazel eyes gazing from the around the edge of the door. "It's late, what's going on? What's that noise?" Kel's eyes flicked up and down the corridor

"Can I come in, Kel?" Owen asked calmly, displaying none of his earlier hurry

"Well, Owen, it's not really – "

"It's nothing about That." Owen said significantly. Nerissa looked at the floor, she had a good idea what 'That' meant.

"Even so, Owen..." but she did not elaborate, she seemed lost for words "What is it about?" she said finally.

Owen shifted uncomfortably. He clearly didn't want to discuss it in the corridor, but he obviously realised, as Nerissa had, that he was faced with no option.

"It's about Meenu Natageera." Kel huffed irritably "No, it's not that, well it is. Look Kel. That noise is the Palace guard, they're searching the Palace for him, he's wanted for attempted murder, I think, they think he tried to kill the King. Kel, are you ok?" Owen asked worriedly for the visible part of Kel's face had drained of colour and seemed paralysed.

"No." She said simply and quietly.

She spun suddenly round and threw herself back into the room away from the door.

The door began to swing back on itself revealing what lay behind it.

Kel's seemed to have only one room other than a washroom, and though it was about the same size as Owen's it seemed a lot smaller, due to the two people who stood it.

Kel wearing only a breast band and loincloth was holding a man, naked bar another loin cloth, about the middle, forcibly pulling him into the room, away from the window he had clearly been climbing out of. The man was squirming, trying to get a hold on Kel, he was kicking his legs about wildly, but he wasn't making contact.

"Mithros, no." Owen whispered beside Nerissa still in the doorway. As the man flailed around madly his face turned to the door for a moment.

It was Meenu Natageera.

Kel moved her arm position, cupping Meenu in a headlock. Meenu was pushing at Kel's arm trying to dislodge it, but Kel's grip was too strong. He began digging his nails into her flesh but she ignored this as well, merely pulling her arm in tighter. Meenu was starting to pant and wheeze.

"No! Kel!" Owen dove into the room and began to pull at Kel's arm to release Meenu as well. "Don't end it like this." Kel released Meenu at once, her face marred with plain disgust, as if Meenu were something she was cleaning off her shoes.

"I would never end it like that. You shall face Crown Justice."

Nerissa was dubious of this, both of Crown Justice and Kel's assertion that she had not been about to strangle Natageera to death.

Meenu was rubbing his neck which had turned scarlet, but his face was as impassive as ever. Although he spat at Kel

"Tortal Doxie."

Owen had unsheathed his sword within a heartbeat and had it levelled at Meenu's throat. "Take that back!" he in turn spat at Natageera

"A true Yamani would not have said that, they would have waited for a cleverer vengeance." Kel said coolly, her anger apparently gone although Nerissa could see her hands shook

"A true Yamani would not have made an alliance with Tortal." Natageera spat out the last word "So there must be very few Yamani left."

"You cannot count yourself amongst them." Kel told him stonily

"You know nothing; I shall be revered amongst the Yamani." Meenu retorted

"You shall never see your Isles again." Kel promised him.


	15. Chapter 15

It took two days for court proceedings to be finalised, with the full consent of the Yamani delegation and with hurried magical messages sent to important officials in the Yamani Isles themselves.

It was to be a quiet affair, only those necessary in attendance. The relatively small royal court room would do for the occasion.

George sat a few benches back from the front, though he had been highly involved in the collection of the evidence against Natageera, Jon still wanted him firmly in the shadows of Tortal's spy network, even within a private trial his importance in proceedings would be recognised, for this reason he was not about to give testimony.

To the surprise of the fusty officials who were required at the trail as well as the King and Queen the Crown Prince Roald and his consort Princess Shinkokami were also in attendance. More seats had had to have been found for the raised royal Dias. George had been unsurprised (it was, after all, his job to find nothing a surprise), all the royals had taken the attack personally.

As Jon had made his way to the Dias he had nodded at George, who had returned the gesture. It was good to see his friend and leader up again even if he did look paler than usual, contrasting with his coal black hair. Alannah sat beside George squeezed his hand, George knew his wife well enough to suspect this was in concern for Jon's health; she was probably itching to see if he was well or to try and heal him some more herself. As if she hadn't done enough. George on the other hand felt renewed vigour for seeing Jon, and he felt and hoped that Jon felt the same. 'Each of us, grinding away at our jobs, never letting up.' George thought grimly.

'Never giving up!'

George looked over to where Natageera stood, trussed up. Even though he was a noble and a foreigner, due to the severity of his intended crimes he stood bound in hand cuffs. His chin still showed a proud and noble tilt.

Much of the evidence George had already heard: Eunice's confession, Dom's account of Natageera's use of knives and a gold smith's assurances that Master Brotsmith had been paid a great deal of money by a Yamani organisation, who had sent the money to his account by mage protected courier, the surmise being that Natageera had paid Brotsmith to supply the knives via the Sword Dancer act.

Dom returned to his seat beside Roaul of Goldenlake after he had given his account. Roaul looked exceedingly troubled. George felt he knew why he looked so troubled; he had heard from Owen the situation under which Natageera had been captured.

The oldest of the Yamani delegation was led from the audience to the witness square beneath Sir Turomot of Wellam, the Lord Magistrate's box. George sat up a little straighter. The Yamanis had let a couple of things slip at the ball a few nights previously, but George felt there was still more they had left unsaid.

"We were joined by Meenu Natageera shortly before boarding out ship to Tortal. We did not find this irregular. The Emperor is often changing his mind and the Natageera's are a family close to the Emperor, although Meenu in particular is seldom heard of near Court. Still it is common for families to ask favours of the Emperor, for their children to be given special treatment or positions, we all presumed this was something of the sort. His paper work seemed correct." After Meenu's arrest George had seen the letter from the Emperor requesting Meenu's inclusion in the delegation, it was hard to prove it a fake, but George's intuition screamed that it was. "Furthermore, Meenu Natageera's Tortallian was faultless. The rest of us of the delegation decided to ignore the rumours and suggestions that Meenu Natageera had been part of the rebel group opposed to the Tortallian alliance called 'Ko teikei'."

George furrowed his brow and thought feverishly. How had the report missed any information about this, even rumours should have been picked up. Equally, how had George missed the missing information? He had blindly accepted that Meenu had spent his time running his family estates, going into the capital rarely, considering his flamboyant and womanising nature in Corus the reclusive behaviour didn't make sense. George had been so quick to pick up the missing information about his time on the Tortal-Galla border yet totally missed this! If he had been plotting with the Ko teikei his behaviour would make total sense, including his reluctance to support or see the Emperor who had brought about the alliance.

"For some time, I and my fellow delegates have believed that the opposition to the alliance is mainly made up of backward thinking country peoples, who did not understand the importance Tortal could play in our countries future. Natageera with his superb Tortallian did not fit this impression, so we thought the better of him."

The delegate said this blandly but George could detect a hint of bitterness or possibly a blistering anger hidden in his words.

When the delegate had finished and sat down behind George, George felt his curiosity get the better of him. He lent back and in a hushed voice asked the delegate

"Why hasn't Natageera chosen an advocate?" for though Natageera was a noble he had chosen nobody to represent him, he stood in his cuffs alone and judged.

"I cannot say. Perhaps because he would not expect to get an advocate at a similar trail at home. Or perhaps he does not trust your advocates or your judgment system."

Alannah beside George turned around in her seat to stare at the delegate her nostrils flaring. George could see her temper was up at this slight to the Tortallian justice system (a little rich considering all the bad things Alannah usually had to say about it), George took hold of her arm and pulled her back to facing the front.

"But he's basically assured himself imprisonment, there's no one to speak up for him!" Alannah hissed. A group of conservative dignitaries in front of them turned in their chairs, their faces reproving at the distraction.

George considered this. Could there be some ulterior motive? What if this was to promote the Ko teikei? Many would consider that Natageera was going to prison without trail, was this a ruse or a ploy?

"Meenu Natageera," began Sir Turomot in a grave voice "You have been brought here under charges of attempted murder of the highest order, that of the King's personage itself. The severity of your proposed crimes must be taken into consideration when deciding your sentence. We have heard strong evidence against you – " George watched Turomot carefully at this point. The evidence wasn't strong at all, there was a great deal of bias hidden within and as Turomot said his words his eyes twitched a little. George knew and Turomot knew that an advocate would have shattered all of these flimsy pieces of evidence, even if they were incriminating the correct man (as George felt they were). "and since there has been no evidence to prove to the contrary, my verdict is thus, you are guilty. You may either serve 40 years in prison or 30 years hard labour in the quarries or mines of Tortal."

There was a small ripple of hushed talk through the courtroom, babbling like a running brook. Everyone was surprised at the leniency that Sir Turomot had shown; many had expected Natageera to receive life imprisonment. Alannah squeezed George's hand again. Jon and Thayat, sat up upon the Dias showed no surprise, shock or anguish at Turomot's words. They continued to stare down upon Natageera serene, accusing, and untouchable, just like the statues of Mithros or the Goddess in their temples.

Natageera had begun to shake. His cool demeanour cracked. He began to lurch forward towards the royal Dias. The crowd gasped, but members of the Palace guard had him by the arms within moments. He hung from their grip like a broken puppet.

The change was shocking and sudden. The crowd was silent once more.

"What is your decision, Natageera?" Sir Turomot asked impatiently

Natageera lifted his head, but his eyes did not find Turomot, they searched along the Dias until they locked upon the hazel eyes of Princess Shinkokami. Natgeera lurched forward, but the guards had too firm a hold on him.

"Please." He cried directly at the Princess, she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze "Please. Protect me. I did this all for you. For you."

The crowd seemed to hang suspended, unsure what Natageera meant.

The Princess, her discomfort melted away, looked down calmly at the accused, and said equally calmly

"I asked for nothing and I received much. You ask for much and will receive nothing."

Natageera whimpered.

"Enough." Called Turomot, banging his gravel to call the whispering crowd to quiet once more, "We shall wait for your answer for five days, if by that time we still have no decision from you then you shall receive the prison sentence. Take him away."

The Palace guards dragged the slumped form of Natageera from the court room and away.

"This brings us to the second business of today." Turomot continued business like

"Please bring in the Sword Dancer Blanco."

The Guards led in Blanco. He pranced in, quite as if the guards were nothing more than an entourage. He was not bound. He took the room full of nobles and royalty in his stride and for all his week long incarceration his head was held as high as Natageera's had been before his sentence.

"We have held you in our prison in the Palace for a week for a crime this court has now decided you did not commit. We extend our hand of regret for this. We hope that fifty gold will compensate you for your loss of trade and loss of liberty. You are welcome to remain at the Palace till such time as you feel able to leave; we understand that imprisonment and questioning may have affected you physically, mentally, emotionally. Should you wish to remain at the Palace you may take a room in the servant's quarters of the north wing. Please understand how sorry we are for the inconvenience cau-"

"Excuse me, most honoured sir." Blanco simpered "I do not wish to impinge upon your hospitality so I shall search for rooms within Corus itself, though I thank you for the offer. My thoughts instead turn to other matters."

Turomot shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the ball lay firmly in Blanco's court. Blanco was acting quite unlike how George had expected him to act. He was neither cowed by his time in the cells, nor was he angry for his incorrect incarceration. The only way George could describe him was possibly blasé.

"You can quite understand my concern that I have not seen my apprentice in five days. I am worried for her wellbeing and I would like to be reunited with her soon."

"That is quite within reason." Turomot conceded "Let me assure you no harm has befallen her, she currently resides within the Palace under the watch and Protection of the Knight Owen of Jesslaw. As from this moment you are a free man you are quite within your rights to visit her on leaving this courtroom.

Blanco bowed his thanks.

"Thus ends today's procedures." Turomot called, slamming his gavel upon his stand.

"All rise for the King, Queen, Crown Prince and Princess." There was a cacophony of scraping benches as the amassed dignitaries stood in respect. As they swept from the courtroom the nobles then surged out after them. George hung back watching Blanco. He stood patiently waiting for the nobles to leave before him.

George joined the streams of people, quickly loosing Alannah in the press; he edged through the door and stood to the side, leaning against a pillar, cool against the back of his neck. He signed to Claude who stood over in the shadows, his eyes upon the leaving nobles, to come over. He skulked forward. George whispered

"I want you to follow Blanco, understood? No mistakes this time!"


	16. Chapter 16

"This is Wylly."

Nerissa laughed

"That's a stupid name!"

"Owen's just being ridiculous." Kel said over the top of the horse's black flank

"I named him after our training master." Owen said bashfully.

"Was his name Wylly? You must have laughed at him so much!" Nerissa laughed. To her surprise both Kel and Owen looked aghast.

"We never laughed at Lord Wyldon." Kel said

"What she means is we never dared laugh at him." Owen remedied.

"Do you remember that time that Neal hid all the dirty training swords he was meant to clean behind the extra horse tack and when Wyldon found it he turned bright purple and made Neal do extra work for a month?" Kel asked

"Yeah of course I do 'A true knight relies on his sword, Queenscove, a dull blade could have you killed.' I can hear him now, as if he were bellowing in my ear."

They both laughed.

Nerissa rubbed down Owen's giant horse with a brush, listening to it swish through the beast's hair, it sounded like running water and was exceedingly soothing. She was pleased to see Owen and Kel laughing and enjoying themselves, although since the capture of Meenu, two nights ago, now and again Nerissa saw Kel's eyes flicker with some unknown thoughts.

Nerissa nearly dropped the horse brush in surprise when she saw a familiar face. Edward was stood with a straw haired man over on the other side of the stable. Nerissa ducked down lower behind the horse burrowing her face in its velvety side.

"Have you too not patched things up yet?" Owen said leaning down to speak to Nerissa

"What's he doing here?" Nerissa hissed still feeling the shock ricocheting off her rib cage

"Oh I think he's some relation to Stephan the hostler." Owen said calmly. Owen looked over at Kel, who was watching the two of them with interest. "Nerissa, would it be ok with you if I stayed out late tonight? You would just have to stay in my rooms alone, that's all."

"Yes, that's fine."

"Brilliant. Ok well, if we're all done here, shall we head back up to the Palace? Kel you go ahead with Nerissa and I'll put Wylly back."

Kel smiled and ushered Nerissa out of the stables.

"Is Owen acting a little odd to you?" Nerissa asked suspiciously. Kel continued to smile

"Odd? That's just Owen's way." Kel was resolutely looking into the distance and Nerissa was sceptical. It seemed they were both up to something. Nerissa watched Kel carefully. Kel's smile suddenly dropped to form a firm line. Nerissa looked round startled to see what Kel was looking at. There ahead was a thin black silluotte against the grey stone of the Palace. A thin man was walking towards them and the closer he came the more his straight backed, light toed gait struck a chord in Nerissa's memory.

It was Blanco.

A rush of guilt and disappointment rushed through Nerissa like blood. She had barely spared a thought for Blanco for the past week, only when prompted. Yet, she didn't want her time in Corus to end, she had eaten better than she had ever done before, she wore clothes that actually fitted her, she had a soft palette bed, she had friends and she had Owen, who had treated her even better than her own father.

Blanco still stalked towards them. Nerissa could see his cold smile even from this distance.

"Nerissa." He said as they came within ear-shot of his soft voice. "I have been so concerned for your wellbeing."

Nerissa looked at the floor. She had barely been concerned about his, so swept away had she been. Another cold wave of guilt gushed over her. However Blanco had expected no reply.

"It has been a long time coming but I now have my liberty. This means we shall be able to leave within the next few days, although I must first make sure none of our equipment has been lost. Would you please attend to me now?" Blanco turned sharply about.

"Come along Nerissa" Blanco turned round to see Nerissa hadn't moved. She felt her guilt bubble away to be replaced by a swelling rage.

"No." She said defiantly staring into Blanco's pale eyes.

"Well Nerissa, this is quite unlike you. You know full well what your parents paid for me to take you on, you will be disappointing them. Shaming them. Don't you care about your family?"

'Did her family care about her?' Nerissa wondered

"Clearly this liberal and extravagant society has quite turned your head. Do you think that once I am gone they will still want you around? Can't you see that they only wanted you so that you could tell them my secrets?" Nerissa thought of all George's questions about Blanco and felt her rage pop like a balloon to be replaced by a nauseating confusion. Could Blanco be right? Would they not want her around any longer?

"Now they have seen that I had no part in it, that it was someone else, that I was incorrectly accused, what need will they have for you? You would do much better to continue your apprenticeship with me."

Nerissa could not meet Blanco's storm grey eyes any longer. Owen would not do that. He would not drop her like that. But unbidden her mind drew up the conversation she had had with Owen the previous night

"_You know Nerissa, I'm not sure you'll like being my bandit hunter assistant. I mean, what are you actually going to do? You'd just have to follow me around through all weathers and rugged landscapes, carrying my things and then hide when I find the bandits. Plus there are all the soldiers I take with me-_

"_You think I'll get in the way." Nerissa said sadly_

"_No, no, I was just thinking that it's not really a very good childhood for a young woman. I was thinking, what if you did something else. You could help out at the Palace, when you're ready you could join the Queen's riders or you know, something else you want to do."_

Blanco hadn't even been released and already Owen wanted her gone.

Perhaps her hesitation showed for Blanco's hard mouth softened almost in perceptively and he said

"I presume that my appearance has been a shock to you, perhaps I was inconsiderate. Maybe you would like some time to yourself to think things over, I will visit you later to find out your decision."

Nerissa looked at the grass beneath her boots, the boots Owen had brought for her, which he could still take back, as she heard Blanco pad away on his light feet. Even when these were out of ear-shot Nerissa didn't look up.

Kel shifted beside her.

"Nerissa." She said softly "You know Owen wouldn't do that to you."

"He said he didn't want me as his apprentice." Nerissa mumbled

"I'm sure whatever Owen said, he didn't mean it like that. Bandit hunting, just like knighthood, is not like the romantic ideal, the reality is harsh, dangerous, and those who do it often end up cold, ill and muddy, sometimes in pain or worse dead. Although you've felt your own harshities in your life on the road Bandit Hunting is likely to be worse and if you don't know what you're doing you may endanger the lives of those around you and yourself, and Owen doesn't want that to happen." Kel bent down to Nerissa's level and lifted her chin so that they stared into each other's eyes. "You are determined, strong and hard working (Owen has been telling me how well you have been doing with your letters) there is plenty you can do and excel at. Why tramp around the countryside with a mad knight like Owen? Owen suggested he could find easy work for you on the Jesslaw estates where he can keep an eye on you. If you preferred to stay in Corus then he'll provide for you. He would never let you down, understand?"

Nerissa nodded, blinking her wet eyes, her eyelashes felt sticky with unshed tears.

"Come on let's get back to the room, Owen will have caught us up soon."

* * *

><p><em>Author note:<em>

_I'm probably not suppose to do this but I have two scenarios I could run with, one's nasty and one's normal. Does anybody have a preference which I use? _


	17. Chapter 17

After her talk with Kel Nerissa did feel better. She contented herself with practising her letters and following Owen about on his errands. Now that the assassination attempt on the King had been resolved the Palace was a flurry of activity, much like an over turned ant hill. Although the King's closest advisors had still been working whilst the King was recovering they had been seriously distracted and now with the King back and the case solved they could turn their attention to the attentive Knights and soldiers who had remained in the Palace waiting for orders. Whilst many had originally been planning to stay the additional month or so till mid winter with the renewed threats from Scanran raiding parties and pirate bands due to the King's weakened state most were now being redeployed. Due to this knights and soldiers alike were stalking through the Palace trying to organise supplies and the Palace servants were dashing about between them trying to do what was needed to send them on their way (including tonnes of laundry, packaging food and mending clothes and equipment).

Owen too was trying to organise the provisions he would need for him and his band of Bandit Hunters to go on a month foray into the area around Corus. With Owen kept in the Palace for longer than usual the bandit activity had increased three fold and Nerissa could feel Owen's impatience to get going exuding out of him: he bounded about faster than usual and his hand gestures got more erratic and more exuberant than ever.

When Nerissa had noticed Owen mumbling away to himself about supplies, pouring over his slate, she had had to quell the rising bubbles of unease and worry that sprung in her stomach.

"Owen, what are you getting supplies for?" she had asked

"Got to get out and start doing my job, can't sit in the Palace all the time, though Mithros knows I'll miss the baths, but anyway that's a different point. More bandit groups have been springing up all over the place, I've actually started getting complaint letters, (as if Lord Olbany didn't deal with his own bandits perfectly well by himself before I came along!)" Owen muttered away to himself as he scratched numbers and figures on his board.

"Owen what will happen to me when you go Bandit hunting. I can't go with you can I?" Nerissa said quietly

Owen stopped what he was doing and put his slate down, turning in the his desk chair to look at Nerissa standing before him.

"Is there something you particularly like to do, Nerissa?"

All Nerissa could think of was sitting with Owen in his living room doing her letters, or walking about the Palace with Edward, perhaps she had also liked the quiet moments of concentration and flight when she knew she had got a flip just right; but none of that was very helpful for what Owen was asking her.

"No, Owen."

"Well that's understandable. You're only 11 or so, not everyone knows what they want to do, what they will like doing in the future. I remember when I was 11 I liked to read books, but that door's closed to you. Oh I also liked fighting but I've never seen you that bothered with that. But anyway my point was going to be that, if you came with me, to my family's lands, I could find you somewhere to work. There's plenty to do, you could be a worker in the kitchens or a maid or an animal tender or a stable hand or a farm worker or a smith. We could find something you'd enjoy doing. Would you like to come work at Jesslaw, Nerissa?"

Nerissa opened her mouth to reply, her breast swelled with hope, she could carry on with life as she had begin to know it, but before she had cried her thanks Owen had put up his hand and begun to speak again

"Of course, things would be different, don't get me wrong, it wouldn't be like the life we have now, I'll see you a lot less, there'll be a more rigid structure to the day, probably harder work, but I just know you will do well. I promise you this, you will have clothes that fit you and food to eat and friends your own age, you won't have to be constantly being moving about, you can have your own things, and you can have a proper life."

Nerissa closed her mouth, life at Jesslaw, probably would be different, she had been blessed by her time in the Palace, it had been like a dream and dreams always come to an end. It was like she had always been prepared for it to end.

Yet despite that, what Owen was offering her was still unimaginably good for a girl who had grown up in an overcrowded house, with too many mouths to feed and then an uncaring harsh master. She could really make something of her life. In fact she could actually have a life.

"Thank you, Owen." Nerissa said "I would very much like to come to Jesslaw with you." And she hugged him about his broad shoulders, unable to make her hands meet behind him but trying. Owen, sat in his chair still, patted her on the shoulder and smiled his lopsided smile.

So Nerissa spent the rest of the day following Owen about, unable to stop asking questions about what Jesslaw was like, badgering him relentlessly. Owen smiled and laughed at her enthusiasm. Nerissa was resolved to tell Blanco that she would not be joining him, yet with each tolling of the hourly bell Nerissa felt her heart sinking. No matter how great her resolve she did not want to face Blanco.

"Right, now Nerissa, I'm just going to go out for the evening." Owen said to her as the first stars in the growingly wintery night came out.

And Nerissa's heart sank further. She was going to have to face Blanco alone as well.


	18. Chapter 18

There was a sharp rap on the door about an hour after the last bell of the day. The cloudy sky was the dark greyish black of night and still Owen wasn't back yet.

Nerissa walked towards the door, that smart rap could only be Blanco. Owen had his key and should he have got drunk enough to lose it (not that that scenario was very likely) his knocking would have been a lot more sloppy.

Nerissa opened the door hesitantly. She had been right. There stood Blanco. His usual black attire, a little splattered in something which could have been mud, but that wasn't that unusual for Blanco, but there could be no mistaking his lean form, his malevolent stormy eyes like throwing blades and his thin lipped smile.

"May I come in?" He asked silkily polite.

Nerissa hesitated, these were not her rooms after all, but there was nothing else she could think of to do. She opened the door wider and took a step back allowing him to slip into the room.

He spared the room a cursory searching glance but he showed no reaction to Owen's comfortable abode or furnishings, it was if he had merely assured himself that there was nothing in the room of importance. He latched his eyes upon Nerissa.

"Have you made your decision?" he asked softly.

Nerissa swallowed nervously

"I have."

"And what is it?" Blanco's voice rose with impatience.

"I am not going to come with you."

Blanco snarled in irritation. He was across the room in seconds and had caught Nerissa by the throat. His other hand he pressed over her mouth.

Nerissa wanted to scream, she could smell on him the smell of blood. He had not been splattered with mud as she had first thought.

"Foolish girl. Swayed easily by the first gesture of kindness. I have put up with you for years. They have put up with you for a week."

Nerissa scrabbled at Blanco's hands, trying to prize herself free, scratching at his exposed flesh. His hold on her throat was tight and she felt a rising panic that she would not be able to draw enough breath. She writhed all the more.

Blanco cursed and dragged her over to Owen's armchair. He pushed her onto it, releasing her throat, but pushing her head painfully into the chair's wooden back, through the fabric lining, by his force over her mouth.

All the while he spoke angrily to her, never yelling, but the anger was there in the quiver of his voice

"I did not teach you what I know, drill you for years, clothe and feed you and save your worthless soul from bandits and pirates for years for you to mess everything up now." Nerissa tried to kick at him, Blanco stood on her feet. She tried to swipe at him but he dodged out the way, fiddling with rope at his belt.

"You are going to come with me tonight, whether you like it or not. But I have to get a few things done before we exit Corus for good." Nerissa stuck her fingers into the sensitive webs of his fingers, desperately trying everything she could think of but Blanco's hold stayed true.

With his free hand, Blanco threw his rope about the chair. Unable to tie her in with only one hand, Blanco lunged for the cleaning cloth Owen used to clean the chalk board. He unceremoniously stuffed it into Nerissa's mouth.

Nerissa gagged violently and painfully, feeling as if her throat was trying to leap out of her mouth. The cloth tasted like grit, Nerissa pushed it away from the back of her mouth with her tongue, tasting the vile chalk dust.

"You dim witted child." He spat at her "you never guessed, never knew. Where did you think I went when I left you at our camp, or in guestrooms? To a tavern? To a brothel?" Nerissa felt confused, what was Blanco talking about. She glared at unable to move or say anything. What else was she supposed to think, he never explained where he went on his night time wanderings.

Nerissa thought about those night time wanderings. Now and again she had seen him come back, she would pretend to be asleep. He had often returned with dark wet mud on his clothes, even in summer. Nerissa the thought about what she had thought was mud when he had entered the room mere minutes ago. She was sure Owen would have been willing to bet 10 gold coins that it had been blood every single time.

"The penny has dropped then?" he watched her wide eyed face as he bound her hands to the arms of the chair and her feet to its legs.

Blanco then tied her neck against the back of the chair. He had chosen well, the chair was far too heavy for Nerissa to move anywhere at all.

Blanco pulled a knife from his belt, it glinted in the lantern light. He smiled wickedly.

"How about some fun now, Nerissa. It's not as if you have anywhere to go. If you give me something I shall tell you everything. I'm sure you're dying to know what's been happening, and you don't even need to die to hear it.

You have finally realised that I am not a simple sword dancer. I am in fact an assassin for hire. You were one of my greatest investments. Who would look twice at an artisan who has an apprentice, especially one as fresh faced as you, surely someone with an apprentice must be the genuine article. I was meanwhile grooming you to take over from me eventually. You were useless but I feel I still have time."

Nerissa's heart hammered in her chest. She eyed the door, willing for Owen to return home soon.

"This particular assassination is as complex as usual, however this time it was not organised by me, but by a Yamani Organisation called Ko teikei. Are you enjoying the story, Nerissa?" He asked, slapping her across the face with his free hand. Nerissa glared at him.

"The Ko teikei are a powerful organisation who are against the Yamani –Tortal alliance. They have exhausted many resources in trying to end the alliance and this is one of their final measures. They organised for Meenu Natageera, a member, to go to Tortal and to assassinate the King. They paid aster Brotsmith to employ myself, thus providing the murder weapon. Unknown to Natageera though, he was always planned to take the blame. They didn't mind how long it took for it to happen, they have their thumbs in countless pies, including piracy and they were happy to loot the weakened Kingdom before they broke the alliance to pieces. As it is, that part of the operation failed however the second stage is working perfectly, to be expected as I am running it.

Natageera's capture would sow anti-Yamani sentiment in the Tortallians. He was instructed, if he were discovered, to tell everyone that he had assassinated the King in order for Princess Shinkokami to become Queen and be more powerful. Whilst he did not correctly manage this." Here Blanco frowned "His efforts were acceptable and already there is growing suspicion aimed at the Princess. Needless to say I informed Natageera of my displeasure only moments ago, for the next part of the plan required his disposal, along with the assassination of Shinkokami. The hope is that international suspicion will be aimed at the Tortallians who appeared to have assassinated a delegate and their foreign Princess. If not it could be years before another Princess is chosen, another Emperor may come to the thrown in the meantime who views the alliance less favourably. The lynch pin of the alliance will be gone and the members of Ko teikei will have what they want."

Nerissa felt sick. She had been the apprentice of this man for years. She had eaten with him and shared camp and rooms with him. All this time he had been killing people for money and it sounded like he had just killed another person, and was about to do so again.

"Now I need something from you." Blanco continued to grin. "I couldn't bare for you to not know any longer, and I need something to stop you ever wanting to come back to Corus again, one day you'd work out what was going on and try to get back and I couldn't have you talking then, just as I can't have you talking now. And an illiterate, mute assassin would be so good for business."

Blanco raised his blade.


	19. Chapter 19

George was awake, sat in office, once more spending longer than he should at Myles' desk. He'd expected a report from Claude hours ago, but whilst he was waiting he was piecing together more of Myles' reports. He was disappointed but not surprised to find he was missing reports for the past week from over half of Myles' previous informants. Still things were looking hopeful, news had come from Barony Olau that Myles was beginning to show some signs of mend, once Alannah had made sure that the King was well she was set to visit her father to do him the same service. George had high hopes that Myles would soon be returning to the Palace and would be able to help choose his replacement.

The door knob rattling was George's only warning as his door was thrown open.

Edward ran into the room. George wearily sighed internally. Edward was supposed to be watching the merchants from Brotsmith's house, he was a very able spy, quick-witted and forgettable, qualities which allowed him to go anywhere he pleased. Unfortunately, whilst his curiosity was ideal for a spy, it was recently becoming a bit of a burden. He was spending far too much time in the Palace, where he blended in with the servants, and not enough time in his actual position. George felt this was probably in part due to Nerissa.

His thoughts were brought up short when Edward slammed into Myles' desk. He was panting, his hands were shaking. All his usual cool and calm were gone.

"You've got to, got to come, quick," he said through pants and dry sobs.

"What's happened Edward?"

"I went to Owen's room. I opened the door and...It's Nerissa. I don't know, what's happened. Blood everywhere. Owen left, so I could make amends with her, all planned, but when, but when I got there, she was tied up, front covered in blood, I don't know, if she's ok, I don't know if she's alive, I didn't know what to do, you were the first person I thought of."

George got out of his chair quickly and had Edward by the shoulders in seconds.

"Listen to me Edward, it could be ok, she could be fine. Calm yourself. Now I need you to find a healer. Duke Baird would be preferable. Give him this ring. Tell him George sent you. Bring him to Owen's rooms. I'll meet you there."

George pulled off his signet ring and placed it in Edward's palm which was still shaking.

"Go now Edward." George said gently as he still had not moved.

Edward turned around and dashed from the room, his feet skidding on the floorboards as he turned down the corridor.

George locked his door then sprinted in the opposite direction to Nerissa's rooms.


	20. Chapter 20

Green orbs floated above Nerissa's face. They were too bright, they hurt her eyes. She just wanted to go back to sleep. She didn't want to feel again. It had been too horrible. Blanco had come.

Blanco had come.

He was going to kill the princess.

Nerissa had to warn someone.

Nerissa jolted to alertness. She was trying to get up before she had fully opened her eyes and adjusted to her surroundings, but although she had been untied firm hands held her in place.

She stared into the emerald, wrinkle lined, eyes of a man she did not know.

"Sssh now." He said soothingly "I'm a healer. You have recently received a severe wound. You have had your tongue cut out. I am currently removing the pain from you. It was lucky that we found the other piece of your tongue, makes things a lot easier, and luckier still that I got to you before the blood started clotting," he smiled at her "we might not have been able to fix you up otherwise." Nerissa felt his words washing over her, his soothing voice slowing her racing heart, yet everytime she thought of Blanco again her heart swooped in terror. She opened her mouth, she had to explain, things were urgent.

"No, don't speak!" The green eyed man's tone turned to dangerous almost instantly. "It could undo all our work, you will be unable to speak for some time now or you will lose your tongue, probably permanently. Perhaps you could write down what you wish to say." The man said encouragingly.

"She can't write!" Edward blurted out from behind the man "Duke Baird, sir" he said as an afterthought. Nerissa's heart soured upwards this time as she heard Edward's voice. He was well. He was here with her. Just this made her feel better. She noticed George was also in the room, leaning over her concerned.

She had to warn them.

She gestured violently over at the chalk board. She would have to try. The men in the room seemed to hold their breath as, with her faltering blood speckled hands, she screetched the chalk across the board

_He gon to prinses. _

That was as much as she could manage. She slumped back into the armchair she still felt in carcerated in.

The men looked at each other.

"Who?" asked George. Nerissa frowned at him. What did it even matter who was going to the princess . From what had happened to her it should have been clear he meant ill.

Nerissa pulled the board towards her again.

_danko_

George leaned closer over her, looking searchingly into her face,

"Blanco is after the princess?"

Nerissa nodded.

George bolted from the room, clattering round the corner, with the speed and agility of a surprised deer.


	21. Chapter 21

Nerissa peeled her eye-lids open again. She felt a dull ache seeping throughout her body on top of the throbbing pain from her tongue; the healing had taken all of her with it.

Owen's room was out of focus.

The green eyed man was there, lent against Owen's desk.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly. Nerissa shook her head, she did not feel good. She felt like she had been beaten all over with sticks the day before, and that was ignoring the pain from her tongue.

Her vision was beginning to clear, so that Owen's room was visible, like the blowing away of fog.

Where was George? Where was Edward?

Duke Baird could probably see the rising terror in Nerissa's eyes because he moved quickly from the desk and crouched before the armchair, concern on his face and his hands on her shoulders just as Nerissa began to struggle, her hands scrabbling to get a purchase on the armchair and heave herself up.

"Calm now. Calm." He called in his soft reassuring voice. "What's the matter?"

Nerissa pointed towards the door, where George and Edward had last been stood. The green eyed man turned to the door,

"Don't worry, Blanco won't be coming back. And if he does I'll be able to deal with him." Nerissa shook her head violently at him, and shook her pointed finger again. Why didn't he understand? "I know it's worrying." He continued "You've been hurt by someone you thought you could trust. You've had a shock, but nothing else is going to happen to you. Soon Blanco will be caught. George will see to that." Nerissa felt cold waves of panic lap over her. George didn't understand Blanco like she did, Blanco would kill George.

Where was Edward?

Taking her paralysis for calm, the green eyed man smiled and released her shoulders, "Now I'll just see where Edward is with that tea, it will sort you right out, send you to sleep so you can forget all about this, let the body do what the healing started."

Edward was ok. He was making tea. It didn't sound like the sort of thing Edward would be doing. Nerissa burned cold with panic at the thought that maybe Edward had gone to face Blanco as well, only pretending to leave to make tea.

And if he hadn't, George was still in danger.

The green eyed man had already turned his back and was headed towards Owen's bathroom where he probably would not find Edward with Owen's kit Kettle, stoking the flames of the fire in the bathroom's grate.

Nerissa didn't have long, she had to get out and warn somebody, and now whilst the healer wasn't looking.

* * *

><p>Something hadn't been right about the Palace. It was swarming, like a kicked termite nest. And yet utterly silent, soldiers in the blue uniforms of the Kings Own and the gold and red of the Palace Guard prowled the place with inhuman efficiently. Owen tried not to be unnerved by the sight. Something had happened since he'd been gone. Unconsciously he picked up the pace of his march.<p>

His doors were already open. His heart rate picked up, thrumming through his veins.

Inside was Duke Baird, stood over his armchair. Owen felt disorientated and confused for a second, what was Duke Baird doing in his rooms? But then he realised

"Nerissa!" she must be hurt. Duke Baird turned and revealed who sat in Owen's armchair.

It was Edward.

"I'm sorry Owen; I didn't think that she'd have the energy to even get up."

"Owen! It's Nerissa, she's gone, I was staying to make sure she was ok."

They both started talking at once, Owen, tried to listen as he noticed how soaked in blood his armchair and floor was.

"Be quiet, both of you. Now, Duke Baird, what has happened?" Owen asked

"It was Blanco, we believe, he came and cut out Nerissa's tongue. The young lady seems to think that Blanco is trying to kill the princess, since Kalisin is still south, we guessed she meant Princess Shinkokami. I managed to heal her. But I believe she became alarmed when she awoke to a room empty save for me and when I left the room she managed to leave. Though I am most surprised, after the healing I expected her to be far too tired."

"So she's walking the corridors with Blanco on the loose, exhausted after a healing?" Edward was quiet for once; Duke Baird refused to meet Owen's eyes.

"Right well I must find her." Owen said resolutely.

Edward moved to get up, but Duke Baird placed a heavy hand on his shoulder keeping him down.

"Owen is a fully trained knight, whereas you Master Edward are not, you shall stay with me." Duke Baird and Owen looked and each other and the Duke made a reassuring nod.


	22. Chapter 22

Nerissa staggered down the hallway. Somewhere her hazy brain thought maybe she was going in the wrong direction because the corridor was so empty. She had been sure that not long ago there had been soldiers marching about.

She put a hand out to steady herself, feeling the coarse thread of the golden embroidery of a tapestry. She jerked back to some semi-alertness as she began to feel herself falling. She threw her legs back under herself and swayed where she stood. She shook her head, this was no good. She needed to stay alert so that she could save George and Edward.

She could see the end of the corridor, maybe she would be able to work out where she was from there. Keeping the end of the corridor in sight she swayed forwards. She took everything in baby steps, each one bringer her closer to her finish line.

She rounded the corner, feeling at first elation at her success, but then, looking down the empty corridor she realised just how far she still needed to go if she was ever going to find George or Edward. She leant against the nearest wall, putting her head against the plastering, trying to pull the cold from that into her foggy warm brain.

A hand grabbed her.

It pulled her behind the nearest tapestry before she even realised what was happening, a hand pressed hard over her mouth. She could smell him. A mixture of blood and sweat, and a taste of acrid soil. She recognised the smell and adrenalin coursed through her veins, pushing out the fog that she had struggled under. She squirmed trying to get free, but it was no good.

Blanco's grip was vice-like.

"You're more resilient than I expected." He whispered into her ear. Nerissa, her brain screaming at her to get away, tried to violently shake her head away, so she wouldn't feel his whispered breathing on her ear.

"You're just in time. Just in time to give me a hand. What a good apprentice you really are."

With that he dragged Nerissa down the corridor, her feet dragging audibly along the wooden floor.

"Stop that, or I'll start cutting off more body parts." He shook her violently.

Despite the adrenalin kick, Nerissa still felt achy and tired and it wasn't long before Blanco was partially dragging her; her legs just weren't listening to her head any more.

Blanco pulled her into an empty set of rooms. Blanco darted a look around the room, his face turning like that of a sparrow, his whole body taught. He smiled his cold grin of malice as he dragged her through the chilly room to the grand but unkempt fireplace.

"Idiots, running around like headless chickens, makes things all the easier."

Then he turned a piece of the elaborately carved wooden fireplace around, like he was twisting a screw and a little door popped out of the back of the fireplace.

Still with Blanco's claws squeezed around her wrist Nerissa was kicked forward into the dark of the priest-hole.

But it wasn't just a simple priest-hole. As Blanco pulled from his pocket a magically lit crystal, she could see that it wasn't a hiding space, she was stood at the entrance to a secret passage way.

Nerissa was kicked in the back again.

"Forward!" Blanco spat at her.

When the crystal's glow alighted on a blank wall, a dead end, Blanco threw away Nerissa's wrist. Nerissa rubbed it vigorously, splaying her fingers, trying to get the circulation going again.

"If you do anything, save wait here like a good girl, I shall not come back to get you, and you shall die here in the dark, you understand?"

Nerissa nodded.

Blanco listened, his ear pressed to the wall, and then, after doing something Nerissa couldn't see he slipped out. The bright yellow light from the room was gone within the same flash that had allowed it into the dark passageway. Afterwards the blackness was endless. Nerissa only knew she had a body because it ached so much, she could see nothing of herself.

All she wanted to do now was sleep. George and Edward weren't here, so Blanco had yet to hurt them, and Owen was out of the Palace.

No that couldn't be right. Owen must have returned by now. He wouldn't have left her alone all night.

Whilst she had begun to get used to the gnawing mass of worry in her gut over George and particularly Edward, the new ripples of worry that shuddered through her as she thought that maybe Blanco would find Owen were crippling.

But she was too tired for tears.

Then a new terror blossomed within her, maybe Blanco would leave her in the passage way. With no water and no food and no light. It was like being buried alive. She would never know what happened to her friends.

The yellow light of the next room, fell upon her, and Blanco's hand was clasped around her sore wrist once more and dragging her along. Nerissa bumped into the grate of the fireplace as the pair spilled out of the dark. She felt a searing pain and realised that the metal was still hot. She'd probably been badly burned.

Blanco had put on an elaborately embroidered red and yellow jacket over his blood splattered blacks. Nerissa wondered absentmindedly where he had got it. These rooms were very similar to Owen's so maybe there was a bedroom with a wardrobe through one of the doors. The likelihood of a set of rooms, with a lit fire and lit lanterns, being empty of people was probably very slim. Nerissa looked sidelong as Blanco hustled her towards the door to the set of rooms. He seemed unperturbed that he had killed again. Nerissa had seen him kill before, bandits on the road in the main, he hadn't seen perturbed then either. It was his occupation she supposed. She wondered if Owen or George were as cold as this. Their occupations required similar work.

Blanco opened the door, and sauntered out, changing his grip from Nerissa's wrist to her hand, squeezing it tightly still. It wasn't a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but could you please return to your rooms, we are trying to deal with a sit-" the Palace Guard hadn't finished his sentence when Blanco turned around and drove a concealed knife into his ear. Blanco scanned the corridor for others, and though the corridor was empty he still said in a carrying voice

"My apologies, I shall return now."

Using his free hand, indicating significant strength for his slight body, Blanco dragged the fallen body back towards the rooms he had just left.

"Help me." He ordered Nerissa, and with her free hand Nerissa dragged the leaden body too, though it sapped at her last remaining strength, she felt like her muscles had turned to water.

Blanco then began to strip him of his red and gold tunic, pulling it on himself, letting go of Nerissa's hand for hardly a second. He also placed the shiny helm upon his head.

Nerissa was dragged from the room again.

They rounded the corner. The rabble of confused soldiers were gone, these four men in the corridor clearly had had their orders, and they stood regimented in a formation surrounding a door not far from the corner where Nerissa stood with Blanco, each training their crossbow on the very same corner.

Blanco strolled up to them. They relaxed upon seeing the footsteps they had obviously been able to hear belonged to someone in a matching uniform. But their respite didn't last long. The nearest soldiers were beginning to knit their brows with confusion. Maybe Blanco didn't walk like a soldier, maybe he didn't have a normal sword maybe they didn't recognise his face, but they knew something wasn't quite right.

"Ho there!" Blanco said, raising his hand in greeting. The soldier furthest from him began to raise his hand in answer. That's when Blanco pushed Nerissa violently into the other further away soldier. He stabbed the two closest to him at the same time, threw a knife at the furthest who was just about to shoot his bolt at Blanco, it had taken him a second longer to prime his weapon since he'd been about to wave, and just as the last soldier raised his weapon, after pushing Nerissa out of the way, Blanco threw a knife at him too.

Nerissa had slid along the corridor a way. Propelled by the force of the push from the now dead man.

Blanco was no longer gripping her wrist.

She scrabbled upright, and began to run down the corridor, with every thump of her feet upon the floor she felt the force ricocheting around her body. She felt like she was trying to run through water.

She was too tired for this. She wasn't going to be able to make it anywhere.

She wanted to get back so badly, she wanted to see Owen. He was going to give her a life again. She was going to make something of herself.

The corridor swam out of focus and she descended into a dark as impenetrable as the passage way she had worried she would be stuck in forever.


	23. Chapter 23

"Nerissa! Neerriiisssaa!"

She could hear Owen's voice. But it was far away. And it echoed.

Her stomach felt compressed. As if someone were sat on it. She felt a little light headed as well, as if she had been stood on her hands for too long.

She could hear heavy breathing.

But it wasn't her own.

Nerissa's eyes flew open. Below her was the wooden floor of a Palace corridor, it was if it were flying from under her, like a giant or troll was pulling it away like a table cloth. She was being jogged gently backwards and forwards. The compressed feeling in her stomach was because she was being carried over somebody's shoulder.

She let herself flop, bringing herself closer to the back of her carrier. Nerissa tugged at the tunic beneath her, it was the Palace uniform.

Perhaps she was safe.

But she recognised the boots that swung in and out of view. She was the furthest from safe that she could be.

Why did he have to find her again? It was almost supernatural. Only prolonged exposure to all weathers with not even an attempt at magically enhanced fire starting made Nerissa sure that his ability to find her again and again was not due to any magic he may have possessed.

But she had been sure that she had heard Owen.

"Nerissa!"

She had. Perhaps she could get to him. He could protect her.

She squirmed around, trying to get free of Blanco, and to her surprise she felt herself fly off of his shoulder, straight into an unforgiving wall. Her head made a thwack noise, and a thundering pain exploded where she had hit it. Nerissa crumpled in pain.

"Right you little brat. Increasingly it's costing more to keep hold of you than I lose by killing you. One more chance." He poked her burned leg with the tip of a crossbow bolt "Now, Walk! Or I shoot!"

Nerissa swayed upright, and slowly put one foot forward. Concentrating upon each individual stride.

"That's it." Blanco hissed at her.

"Nerissa!" Owen's call echoed down the corridor.

Nerissa looked up, hope filling her up. Owen was still looking for her. She thought of Jesslaw as she put one foot in fount of the other. Maybe she'd work in the kitchens, a place where it was always warm and always smelled lovely.

She felt a sharp jab in the back.

She'd still like to do her tumbling act, maybe she could be a performer when Owen needed to entertain guests.

She felt the flooring beneath her change almost inpeceptively. Nerissa turned her attention to her surroundings. She stood on a square upper storey walkway, swathed in shadows; she could see the floor below beyond the balustrades circling the walkway.

A door below slammed violently. Nerissa jumped with shock.

"Nerissa!" Owen's voice boomed through the room. "Blanco! You come out and fight me like a knight! Come face me on my terms!"

Nerissa's heart squeezed with worry at the same time it flew at the thought of a saviour.

Blanco leaned down so she could feel his warm putrid breath on her face, her whispered too her, hissing like a snake offering apples.

"If you make even one strangled cry, I shoot him." Nerissa's eyes flicked around to see that not only did Blanco have the crossbow currently embedding itself in the small of her back but another trained on Owen. "If you don't come quietly, I shall kill him. If you should make a run for it in the future, I shall follow you, I shall come back, and I shall kill him. I will also kill that boy Edward. Do you understand?" He cooed

Blanco prodded her in the back, telling her to keep moving,

"Neeerrrriiissssaaa!" Owen hollered, dashing through a door on the other side of the room below.

Nerissa's throat parched and her eyes filled with wetness, which escaped to leave streaks down her face. There was no justice in the world.

Kel was wrong, King's justice means nothing. There is only the justice you create yourself.

Blanco wouldn't be able to follow her back to Owen if he was dead, and he couldn't train a crossbow at her forever. Nerissa felt a shudder judder through her body as she thought about the way her path in life now lead. In part fear, in part horror, in part adrenalin, she felt the shudder fill her body with a cold ice and raise Goosebumps up and down her arms and legs.


End file.
